NewzIntel.com

Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI: Ripplecoin Mining Unveils Innovative Cloud Mining Solutions and Global Incentive Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Atherton, California , June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ripplecoin Mining, a pioneer in compliant cloud mining services since 2017, today revealed significant new offerings designed to simplify cryptocurrency mining, unlock broader user participation, and deliver sustainable, green‑powered operations globally.

    Pioneering Simplified, Multi‑Asset Cloud Mining

    Responding to soaring investor demand for low‑threshold, reliable crypto earnings, Ripplecoin Mining has launched a ground‑breaking incentive and trial structure aimed at easing access to cloud mining, no hardware required. New users receive:

    • A computing‑power trial, enabling exploration of live BTC, DOGE, LTC, XRP, ETH, and USDT mining,
    • Short‑term contracts ranging from 1 to 5 days to experience operations,
    • Automatic AI‑powered computing‑power allocation, with real‑time dashboard tracking via web and app interfaces.

    Green Energy & AI: Foundations of Sustainable Mining

    Environmental stewardship sits at the heart of Ripplecoin Mining’s infrastructure:

    • Global green-energy-powered data centers from Northern Europe and Canada to diversified nodes.
    • AI-driven dynamic computing‑power scheduling, enhancing energy efficiency and output consistency.
    • Commitment to a 100% clean-energy roadmap targeting carbon neutrality by 2030.

    By merging sustainability with performance, the platform offers eco-friendly crypto mining that minimizes its carbon footprint.

    Security & Compliance: Best-in-Class Measures

    Ripplecoin Mining emphasizes robust security through:

    • TLS 1.3 and AES‑256 encryption safeguarding login, funding, and payout flows,
    • Cold/hot wallet segregation with multi-signature protection for withdrawals,
    • 24/7 data‑driven anomaly monitoring and AI‑powered risk controls,
    • Redundant global node architecture enabling second-level failover resilience,
    • Regular third-party audits and asset insurance to cover extreme risks.

    Such industry-leading protocols underscore the platform’s dedication to asset preservation and regulatory compliance.

    Explosive Global Reach

    With operations spanning 195 countries and over 9 million users, Ripplecoin Mining has become a veritable bridge to global crypto wealth.

    Independent reviewers echo this success:

    • Trustpilot reflects a 4.7‑star rating from 24 reviewers, praising the site’s ease of use, daily withdrawals, and referral rewards.
    • Scamadviser rates the platform as “legit and safe,” noting SSL encryption and established domain registration history, though emphasizing continued diligence.

    These external validations reinforce Ripplecoin Mining’s credibility and user-trust positioning.

    How It Works:

    Three streamlined steps guide users through activation:

    1. Register and get free computing power and existing members can earn daily just by logging in.
    2. Select a contract ranging from small short-term to larger long-term plans,
    3. Activate and monitor: AI‑automated mining kicks in, letting users track earnings live

    2025 and Beyond: A Vision for Tomorrow

    Ripplecoin Mining remains forward-looking with bold strategic commitments:

    • Global expansion of green-energy data centers in key regions throughout 2025
    • Formulation of ESG standards for the cloud-mining sector,
    • Development of a decentralized computing‑power trading platform,
    • Integration of Web3 and advanced AI, fostering smarter, more transparent operations

    These key initiatives shape the company’s path toward intelligent, sustainable, and democratized mining infrastructure.

    About Ripplecoin Mining

    Founded in 2017 and headquartered in London, Ripplecoin Mining is a global cloud mining service committed to accessible, green, and secure cryptocurrency mining. Using AI‑enabled scheduling, renewable energy sourcing, and an unwavering commitment to security and transparency, the platform empowers individuals worldwide to generate stable passive income through reputable cloud mining.

    Website: https://ripplecoinmining.com

    App download link:Click here to download, supports Android and iOS systems

    Media Contact: info@ripplecoinmining.com

    Disclaimer: This press release does not constitute investment advice. Cloud mining and cryptocurrencies carry risks, including loss of funds. Prospective users should conduct their own research or consult a financial advisor.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Torres Reintroduces Critical Asbestos Disclosure Bill During National Homeownership Month to Protect Renters and Homeowners

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

    June 30, 2025

    Bill Seeks to help Homeowners and Renters Get Transparent Asbestos Hazard Disclosure in Residential Sales and Leases

    Washington, D.C. – During National Homeownership Month, Congresswoman Norma Torres, a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, reintroduced the Asbestos Exposure in Housing Reduction Act of 2025. This legislation would protect renters and homeowners nationwide by requiring full disclosure of asbestos hazards during the sale or lease of residential properties, with civil and criminal penalties for non-disclosure.

    “As we celebrate National Homeownership Month, it’s critical to prioritize the safety and health of those investing in their homes,” said Congresswoman Norma Torres. “Every renter and homeowner deserve transparency about environmental risks like asbestos before signing a lease or purchase agreement. This bill empowers families with the knowledge they need to protect their health and secure a safe home environment. No one should have to worry about hidden dangers in their home.”

    The Environmental Protection Agency announced a historic ban on ongoing asbestos uses, yet disclosure requirements vary widely across states. Notably, California landlords are currently not mandated to disclose asbestos risks.

    Key provisions of the Asbestos Exposure in Housing Reduction Act include:

    • Mandatory disclosure to buyers and renters of any known asbestos or asbestos-based hazards in the dwelling.

    • Provision of any available asbestos hazard evaluation reports from sellers or lessors to potential occupants.

    • A significant 10-day period for buyers or renters to conduct risk assessments or inspections for asbestos, ensuring informed decisions and peace of mind.

    • Inclusion of an Asbestos Warning Statement in every contract for purchase, sale, or lease, accompanied by a signed acknowledgment from the buyer or lessee confirming they understand the risks and had the opportunity to inspect.

    This legislation directs the Housing and Urban Development Secretary and the EPA Administrator to issue regulations ensuring these protections become standard practice.

    Bill text

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

    Proposed revisions to U.S. energy policy would likely raise consumer prices and climate-warming emissions. zpagistock/Moment via Getty Images

    When it comes to energy policy, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – the official name of a massive federal tax-cut and spending bill that House Republicans passed in May 2025 – risks raising Americans’ energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

    The 1,100-page bill would slash incentives for green technologies such as solar, wind, batteries, electric cars and heat pumps while subsidizing existing nuclear power plants and biofuels. That would leave the country and its people burning more fossil fuels despite strong popular and scientific support for a rapid shift to renewable energy.

    The bill may still be revised by the Senate before it moves to a final vote. But it is a picture of how President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans want to reshape U.S. energy policy.

    As an environmental engineering professor who studies ways to confront climate change, I think it is important to distinguish which technologies could rapidly cut emissions or are on the verge of becoming viable from those that do little to fight climate change. Unfortunately, the House bill favors the latter while nixing support for the former.

    Renewable energy

    Wind and solar power, often paired with batteries, are providing over 90% of the new electricity currently being added to the grid nationally and around the world. Geothermal power is undergoing technological breakthroughs. With natural gas turbines in short supply and long lead times to build other resources, renewables and batteries offer the fastest way to satisfy growing demand for power.

    However, the House bill rescinds billions of dollars that the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, devoted to boosting domestic manufacturing and deployments of renewable energy and batteries.

    It would terminate tax credits for manufacturing for the wind industry in 2028 and for solar and batteries in 2032. That would disrupt the boom in domestic manufacturing projects that was being stimulated by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    Deployments would be hit even harder. Wind, solar, geothermal and battery projects would need to commence construction within 60 days of passage of the bill to receive tax credits.

    In addition, the bill would deny tax credits to projects that use Chinese-made components. Financial analysts have called those provisions “unworkable,” since some Chinese materials may be necessary even for projects built with as much domestic content as possible.

    Analysts warn that the House bill would cut new wind, solar and battery installations by 20% compared with the growth that had been expected without the bill. That’s why BloombergNEF, an energy research firm, called the bill a “nightmare scenario” for clean energy proponents.

    However, one person’s nightmare may be another man’s dream. “We’re constraining the hell out of wind and solar, which is good,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican backed by the oil and gas industry.

    Wind turbines and solar panels generate renewable energy side by side near Palm Springs, Calif.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Efficiency and electric cars

    Cuts fall even harder on Americans who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs. The bill repeals aid for home efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, efficient windows and energy audits. Homeowners would also lose tax credits for installing solar panels and batteries.

    For vehicles, the bill would not only repeal tax credits for electric cars, trucks and chargers, but it also would impose a federal $250 annual fee on vehicles, on top of fees that some states charge electric-car owners. The federal fee is more than the gas taxes paid by other drivers to fund highways and ignores air-quality and climate effects.

    Combined, the lost credits and increased fees could cut projected U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 40% in 2030, according to modeling by Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University.

    Nuclear power

    Meanwhile, the bill partially retains a tax credit for electricity from existing nuclear power plants. Those plants may not need the help: Electricity demand is surging, and companies like Meta are signing long-term deals for nuclear energy to power data centers. Nuclear plants are also paid to manage their radioactive waste, since the country lacks a permanent place to store it.

    For new nuclear plants, the bill would move up the deadline to 2028 to begin construction. That deadline is too soon for some new reactor designs and would rush the vetting of others. Nuclear safety regulators are awaiting a study from the National Academies on the weapons proliferation risks of the type of uranium fuel that some developers hope to use in newer designs.

    The House-passed bill would protect government subsidies for existing nuclear power plants, like the one in the background, while limiting support for wind turbines.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Biofuels

    While cutting funding for electric vehicles, the bill would spend $45 billion to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

    Food-based biofuels do little good for the climate because growing, harvesting and processing crops requires fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. The bill would allow forests to be cut to make room for crops because it directs agencies to ignore the impacts of biofuels on land use.

    Hydrogen

    The bill would end tax credits for hydrogen production. Without that support, companies will be unlikely to invest in the seven so-called “hydrogen hubs” that were allocated a combined $8 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. Those hubs aim to attract $40 billion in private investments and create tens of thousands of jobs while developing cleaner ways to make hydrogen.

    The repealed tax credits would have subsidized hydrogen made emissions-free by using renewable or nuclear electricity to split water molecules. They also would have subsidized hydrogen made from natural gas with carbon capture, whose benefits are impaired by methane emissions from natural gas systems and incomplete carbon capture.

    However it’s made, hydrogen is no panacea. As the world’s smallest molecule, hydrogen is prone to leaking, which can pose safety challenges and indirectly warm the climate. And while hydrogen is essential for making fertilizers and potentially useful for making steel or aviation fuels, vehicles and heating are more efficiently powered by electricity than by hydrogen.

    Still, European governments and China are investing heavily in hydrogen production.

    As Congress deliberates on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the nation’s energy agenda is one of many issues being hotly debated.
    Kevin Carter/Getty Images

    Summing it up

    The conservative Tax Foundation estimates that the House bill would cut the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits by about half, saving the government $50 billion a year. But with fewer efficiency improvements, fewer electric vehicles and less clean power on the grid, Princeton’s Jenkins projects American households would pay up to $415 more per year for energy by 2035 than if the bill’s provisions were not enacted. If the bill’s provisions make it into law, the extra fossil fuel-burning would leave annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 1 billion tons higher by then.

    No one expected former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to escape unscathed with Republicans in the White House and dominating both houses of Congress. Still, the proposed cuts target the technologies Americans count on to protect the climate and save consumers money.

    Daniel Cohan receives funding from the Carbon Hub at Rice University.

    – ref. How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate – https://theconversation.com/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-positions-us-energy-to-be-more-costly-for-consumers-and-the-climate-257783

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

    Proposed revisions to U.S. energy policy would likely raise consumer prices and climate-warming emissions. zpagistock/Moment via Getty Images

    When it comes to energy policy, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – the official name of a massive federal tax-cut and spending bill that House Republicans passed in May 2025 – risks raising Americans’ energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

    The 1,100-page bill would slash incentives for green technologies such as solar, wind, batteries, electric cars and heat pumps while subsidizing existing nuclear power plants and biofuels. That would leave the country and its people burning more fossil fuels despite strong popular and scientific support for a rapid shift to renewable energy.

    The bill may still be revised by the Senate before it moves to a final vote. But it is a picture of how President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans want to reshape U.S. energy policy.

    As an environmental engineering professor who studies ways to confront climate change, I think it is important to distinguish which technologies could rapidly cut emissions or are on the verge of becoming viable from those that do little to fight climate change. Unfortunately, the House bill favors the latter while nixing support for the former.

    Renewable energy

    Wind and solar power, often paired with batteries, are providing over 90% of the new electricity currently being added to the grid nationally and around the world. Geothermal power is undergoing technological breakthroughs. With natural gas turbines in short supply and long lead times to build other resources, renewables and batteries offer the fastest way to satisfy growing demand for power.

    However, the House bill rescinds billions of dollars that the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, devoted to boosting domestic manufacturing and deployments of renewable energy and batteries.

    It would terminate tax credits for manufacturing for the wind industry in 2028 and for solar and batteries in 2032. That would disrupt the boom in domestic manufacturing projects that was being stimulated by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    Deployments would be hit even harder. Wind, solar, geothermal and battery projects would need to commence construction within 60 days of passage of the bill to receive tax credits.

    In addition, the bill would deny tax credits to projects that use Chinese-made components. Financial analysts have called those provisions “unworkable,” since some Chinese materials may be necessary even for projects built with as much domestic content as possible.

    Analysts warn that the House bill would cut new wind, solar and battery installations by 20% compared with the growth that had been expected without the bill. That’s why BloombergNEF, an energy research firm, called the bill a “nightmare scenario” for clean energy proponents.

    However, one person’s nightmare may be another man’s dream. “We’re constraining the hell out of wind and solar, which is good,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican backed by the oil and gas industry.

    Wind turbines and solar panels generate renewable energy side by side near Palm Springs, Calif.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Efficiency and electric cars

    Cuts fall even harder on Americans who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs. The bill repeals aid for home efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, efficient windows and energy audits. Homeowners would also lose tax credits for installing solar panels and batteries.

    For vehicles, the bill would not only repeal tax credits for electric cars, trucks and chargers, but it also would impose a federal $250 annual fee on vehicles, on top of fees that some states charge electric-car owners. The federal fee is more than the gas taxes paid by other drivers to fund highways and ignores air-quality and climate effects.

    Combined, the lost credits and increased fees could cut projected U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 40% in 2030, according to modeling by Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University.

    Nuclear power

    Meanwhile, the bill partially retains a tax credit for electricity from existing nuclear power plants. Those plants may not need the help: Electricity demand is surging, and companies like Meta are signing long-term deals for nuclear energy to power data centers. Nuclear plants are also paid to manage their radioactive waste, since the country lacks a permanent place to store it.

    For new nuclear plants, the bill would move up the deadline to 2028 to begin construction. That deadline is too soon for some new reactor designs and would rush the vetting of others. Nuclear safety regulators are awaiting a study from the National Academies on the weapons proliferation risks of the type of uranium fuel that some developers hope to use in newer designs.

    The House-passed bill would protect government subsidies for existing nuclear power plants, like the one in the background, while limiting support for wind turbines.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Biofuels

    While cutting funding for electric vehicles, the bill would spend $45 billion to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

    Food-based biofuels do little good for the climate because growing, harvesting and processing crops requires fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. The bill would allow forests to be cut to make room for crops because it directs agencies to ignore the impacts of biofuels on land use.

    Hydrogen

    The bill would end tax credits for hydrogen production. Without that support, companies will be unlikely to invest in the seven so-called “hydrogen hubs” that were allocated a combined $8 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. Those hubs aim to attract $40 billion in private investments and create tens of thousands of jobs while developing cleaner ways to make hydrogen.

    The repealed tax credits would have subsidized hydrogen made emissions-free by using renewable or nuclear electricity to split water molecules. They also would have subsidized hydrogen made from natural gas with carbon capture, whose benefits are impaired by methane emissions from natural gas systems and incomplete carbon capture.

    However it’s made, hydrogen is no panacea. As the world’s smallest molecule, hydrogen is prone to leaking, which can pose safety challenges and indirectly warm the climate. And while hydrogen is essential for making fertilizers and potentially useful for making steel or aviation fuels, vehicles and heating are more efficiently powered by electricity than by hydrogen.

    Still, European governments and China are investing heavily in hydrogen production.

    As Congress deliberates on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the nation’s energy agenda is one of many issues being hotly debated.
    Kevin Carter/Getty Images

    Summing it up

    The conservative Tax Foundation estimates that the House bill would cut the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits by about half, saving the government $50 billion a year. But with fewer efficiency improvements, fewer electric vehicles and less clean power on the grid, Princeton’s Jenkins projects American households would pay up to $415 more per year for energy by 2035 than if the bill’s provisions were not enacted. If the bill’s provisions make it into law, the extra fossil fuel-burning would leave annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 1 billion tons higher by then.

    No one expected former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to escape unscathed with Republicans in the White House and dominating both houses of Congress. Still, the proposed cuts target the technologies Americans count on to protect the climate and save consumers money.

    Daniel Cohan receives funding from the Carbon Hub at Rice University.

    – ref. How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate – https://theconversation.com/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-positions-us-energy-to-be-more-costly-for-consumers-and-the-climate-257783

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

    Proposed revisions to U.S. energy policy would likely raise consumer prices and climate-warming emissions. zpagistock/Moment via Getty Images

    When it comes to energy policy, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – the official name of a massive federal tax-cut and spending bill that House Republicans passed in May 2025 – risks raising Americans’ energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

    The 1,100-page bill would slash incentives for green technologies such as solar, wind, batteries, electric cars and heat pumps while subsidizing existing nuclear power plants and biofuels. That would leave the country and its people burning more fossil fuels despite strong popular and scientific support for a rapid shift to renewable energy.

    The bill may still be revised by the Senate before it moves to a final vote. But it is a picture of how President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans want to reshape U.S. energy policy.

    As an environmental engineering professor who studies ways to confront climate change, I think it is important to distinguish which technologies could rapidly cut emissions or are on the verge of becoming viable from those that do little to fight climate change. Unfortunately, the House bill favors the latter while nixing support for the former.

    Renewable energy

    Wind and solar power, often paired with batteries, are providing over 90% of the new electricity currently being added to the grid nationally and around the world. Geothermal power is undergoing technological breakthroughs. With natural gas turbines in short supply and long lead times to build other resources, renewables and batteries offer the fastest way to satisfy growing demand for power.

    However, the House bill rescinds billions of dollars that the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, devoted to boosting domestic manufacturing and deployments of renewable energy and batteries.

    It would terminate tax credits for manufacturing for the wind industry in 2028 and for solar and batteries in 2032. That would disrupt the boom in domestic manufacturing projects that was being stimulated by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    Deployments would be hit even harder. Wind, solar, geothermal and battery projects would need to commence construction within 60 days of passage of the bill to receive tax credits.

    In addition, the bill would deny tax credits to projects that use Chinese-made components. Financial analysts have called those provisions “unworkable,” since some Chinese materials may be necessary even for projects built with as much domestic content as possible.

    Analysts warn that the House bill would cut new wind, solar and battery installations by 20% compared with the growth that had been expected without the bill. That’s why BloombergNEF, an energy research firm, called the bill a “nightmare scenario” for clean energy proponents.

    However, one person’s nightmare may be another man’s dream. “We’re constraining the hell out of wind and solar, which is good,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican backed by the oil and gas industry.

    Wind turbines and solar panels generate renewable energy side by side near Palm Springs, Calif.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Efficiency and electric cars

    Cuts fall even harder on Americans who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs. The bill repeals aid for home efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, efficient windows and energy audits. Homeowners would also lose tax credits for installing solar panels and batteries.

    For vehicles, the bill would not only repeal tax credits for electric cars, trucks and chargers, but it also would impose a federal $250 annual fee on vehicles, on top of fees that some states charge electric-car owners. The federal fee is more than the gas taxes paid by other drivers to fund highways and ignores air-quality and climate effects.

    Combined, the lost credits and increased fees could cut projected U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 40% in 2030, according to modeling by Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University.

    Nuclear power

    Meanwhile, the bill partially retains a tax credit for electricity from existing nuclear power plants. Those plants may not need the help: Electricity demand is surging, and companies like Meta are signing long-term deals for nuclear energy to power data centers. Nuclear plants are also paid to manage their radioactive waste, since the country lacks a permanent place to store it.

    For new nuclear plants, the bill would move up the deadline to 2028 to begin construction. That deadline is too soon for some new reactor designs and would rush the vetting of others. Nuclear safety regulators are awaiting a study from the National Academies on the weapons proliferation risks of the type of uranium fuel that some developers hope to use in newer designs.

    The House-passed bill would protect government subsidies for existing nuclear power plants, like the one in the background, while limiting support for wind turbines.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Biofuels

    While cutting funding for electric vehicles, the bill would spend $45 billion to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

    Food-based biofuels do little good for the climate because growing, harvesting and processing crops requires fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. The bill would allow forests to be cut to make room for crops because it directs agencies to ignore the impacts of biofuels on land use.

    Hydrogen

    The bill would end tax credits for hydrogen production. Without that support, companies will be unlikely to invest in the seven so-called “hydrogen hubs” that were allocated a combined $8 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. Those hubs aim to attract $40 billion in private investments and create tens of thousands of jobs while developing cleaner ways to make hydrogen.

    The repealed tax credits would have subsidized hydrogen made emissions-free by using renewable or nuclear electricity to split water molecules. They also would have subsidized hydrogen made from natural gas with carbon capture, whose benefits are impaired by methane emissions from natural gas systems and incomplete carbon capture.

    However it’s made, hydrogen is no panacea. As the world’s smallest molecule, hydrogen is prone to leaking, which can pose safety challenges and indirectly warm the climate. And while hydrogen is essential for making fertilizers and potentially useful for making steel or aviation fuels, vehicles and heating are more efficiently powered by electricity than by hydrogen.

    Still, European governments and China are investing heavily in hydrogen production.

    As Congress deliberates on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the nation’s energy agenda is one of many issues being hotly debated.
    Kevin Carter/Getty Images

    Summing it up

    The conservative Tax Foundation estimates that the House bill would cut the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits by about half, saving the government $50 billion a year. But with fewer efficiency improvements, fewer electric vehicles and less clean power on the grid, Princeton’s Jenkins projects American households would pay up to $415 more per year for energy by 2035 than if the bill’s provisions were not enacted. If the bill’s provisions make it into law, the extra fossil fuel-burning would leave annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 1 billion tons higher by then.

    No one expected former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to escape unscathed with Republicans in the White House and dominating both houses of Congress. Still, the proposed cuts target the technologies Americans count on to protect the climate and save consumers money.

    Daniel Cohan receives funding from the Carbon Hub at Rice University.

    – ref. How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate – https://theconversation.com/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-positions-us-energy-to-be-more-costly-for-consumers-and-the-climate-257783

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Daniel Cohan, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University

    Proposed revisions to U.S. energy policy would likely raise consumer prices and climate-warming emissions. zpagistock/Moment via Getty Images

    When it comes to energy policy, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – the official name of a massive federal tax-cut and spending bill that House Republicans passed in May 2025 – risks raising Americans’ energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

    The 1,100-page bill would slash incentives for green technologies such as solar, wind, batteries, electric cars and heat pumps while subsidizing existing nuclear power plants and biofuels. That would leave the country and its people burning more fossil fuels despite strong popular and scientific support for a rapid shift to renewable energy.

    The bill may still be revised by the Senate before it moves to a final vote. But it is a picture of how President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans want to reshape U.S. energy policy.

    As an environmental engineering professor who studies ways to confront climate change, I think it is important to distinguish which technologies could rapidly cut emissions or are on the verge of becoming viable from those that do little to fight climate change. Unfortunately, the House bill favors the latter while nixing support for the former.

    Renewable energy

    Wind and solar power, often paired with batteries, are providing over 90% of the new electricity currently being added to the grid nationally and around the world. Geothermal power is undergoing technological breakthroughs. With natural gas turbines in short supply and long lead times to build other resources, renewables and batteries offer the fastest way to satisfy growing demand for power.

    However, the House bill rescinds billions of dollars that the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, devoted to boosting domestic manufacturing and deployments of renewable energy and batteries.

    It would terminate tax credits for manufacturing for the wind industry in 2028 and for solar and batteries in 2032. That would disrupt the boom in domestic manufacturing projects that was being stimulated by the Inflation Reduction Act.

    Deployments would be hit even harder. Wind, solar, geothermal and battery projects would need to commence construction within 60 days of passage of the bill to receive tax credits.

    In addition, the bill would deny tax credits to projects that use Chinese-made components. Financial analysts have called those provisions “unworkable,” since some Chinese materials may be necessary even for projects built with as much domestic content as possible.

    Analysts warn that the House bill would cut new wind, solar and battery installations by 20% compared with the growth that had been expected without the bill. That’s why BloombergNEF, an energy research firm, called the bill a “nightmare scenario” for clean energy proponents.

    However, one person’s nightmare may be another man’s dream. “We’re constraining the hell out of wind and solar, which is good,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican backed by the oil and gas industry.

    Wind turbines and solar panels generate renewable energy side by side near Palm Springs, Calif.
    Mario Tama/Getty Images

    Efficiency and electric cars

    Cuts fall even harder on Americans who are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and energy costs. The bill repeals aid for home efficiency improvements such as heat pumps, efficient windows and energy audits. Homeowners would also lose tax credits for installing solar panels and batteries.

    For vehicles, the bill would not only repeal tax credits for electric cars, trucks and chargers, but it also would impose a federal $250 annual fee on vehicles, on top of fees that some states charge electric-car owners. The federal fee is more than the gas taxes paid by other drivers to fund highways and ignores air-quality and climate effects.

    Combined, the lost credits and increased fees could cut projected U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 40% in 2030, according to modeling by Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University.

    Nuclear power

    Meanwhile, the bill partially retains a tax credit for electricity from existing nuclear power plants. Those plants may not need the help: Electricity demand is surging, and companies like Meta are signing long-term deals for nuclear energy to power data centers. Nuclear plants are also paid to manage their radioactive waste, since the country lacks a permanent place to store it.

    For new nuclear plants, the bill would move up the deadline to 2028 to begin construction. That deadline is too soon for some new reactor designs and would rush the vetting of others. Nuclear safety regulators are awaiting a study from the National Academies on the weapons proliferation risks of the type of uranium fuel that some developers hope to use in newer designs.

    The House-passed bill would protect government subsidies for existing nuclear power plants, like the one in the background, while limiting support for wind turbines.
    Scott Olson/Getty Images

    Biofuels

    While cutting funding for electric vehicles, the bill would spend $45 billion to extend tax credits for biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

    Food-based biofuels do little good for the climate because growing, harvesting and processing crops requires fertilizers, pesticides and fuel. The bill would allow forests to be cut to make room for crops because it directs agencies to ignore the impacts of biofuels on land use.

    Hydrogen

    The bill would end tax credits for hydrogen production. Without that support, companies will be unlikely to invest in the seven so-called “hydrogen hubs” that were allocated a combined $8 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021. Those hubs aim to attract $40 billion in private investments and create tens of thousands of jobs while developing cleaner ways to make hydrogen.

    The repealed tax credits would have subsidized hydrogen made emissions-free by using renewable or nuclear electricity to split water molecules. They also would have subsidized hydrogen made from natural gas with carbon capture, whose benefits are impaired by methane emissions from natural gas systems and incomplete carbon capture.

    However it’s made, hydrogen is no panacea. As the world’s smallest molecule, hydrogen is prone to leaking, which can pose safety challenges and indirectly warm the climate. And while hydrogen is essential for making fertilizers and potentially useful for making steel or aviation fuels, vehicles and heating are more efficiently powered by electricity than by hydrogen.

    Still, European governments and China are investing heavily in hydrogen production.

    As Congress deliberates on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the nation’s energy agenda is one of many issues being hotly debated.
    Kevin Carter/Getty Images

    Summing it up

    The conservative Tax Foundation estimates that the House bill would cut the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits by about half, saving the government $50 billion a year. But with fewer efficiency improvements, fewer electric vehicles and less clean power on the grid, Princeton’s Jenkins projects American households would pay up to $415 more per year for energy by 2035 than if the bill’s provisions were not enacted. If the bill’s provisions make it into law, the extra fossil fuel-burning would leave annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions 1 billion tons higher by then.

    No one expected former President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to escape unscathed with Republicans in the White House and dominating both houses of Congress. Still, the proposed cuts target the technologies Americans count on to protect the climate and save consumers money.

    Daniel Cohan receives funding from the Carbon Hub at Rice University.

    – ref. How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ positions US energy to be more costly for consumers and the climate – https://theconversation.com/how-the-big-beautiful-bill-positions-us-energy-to-be-more-costly-for-consumers-and-the-climate-257783

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

    The blue Energy Star label is widely recognized across the U.S. Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.

    Energy Star was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and later expanded in partnership with the Department of Energy with a simple goal: making it easier for consumers and businesses to choose energy-efficient products, helping them reduce energy use and save money, without sacrificing quality or performance.

    As a scholar of energy conservation, I have studied the Energy Star program’s development and public impact, including how it has shaped consumer behavior and environmental outcomes.

    According to the EPA, it has saved consumers an average of US$15 billion a year on energy costs since its inception, a massive return on a program that costs taxpayers an estimated $32 million a year.

    How Energy Star works

    When you see an Energy Star label on a product, it means that product has met strict energy efficiency standards set by the EPA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, which tests how much energy appliances use. The federal agencies also consult with product manufacturers, utilities and others to figure out how best to improve products and determine how cost-effective changes might be.

    Products that earn the Energy Star certification typically use significantly less energy than standard models, often between 10% and 50% less. The energy – and financial – savings can add up quickly, especially when homes or buildings have multiple Energy Star appliances and systems.

    Energy Star itself does not manufacture or sell products. Instead, it acts as a trusted third-party certifier, providing consumers and businesses with reliable information and clear labeling. It also offers information to help people estimate energy savings and compare long-term costs, making it easier to identify high-performing, cost-effective options. Manufacturers participating in Energy Star seek to improve their environmental reputation and increase their market share, giving them a strong incentive to meet the program’s efficiency criteria.

    Today, the label appears on refrigerators, dishwashers, laptops, commercial buildings and even newly built homes. The government says people in more than 90% of American households recognize the label.

    Energy Star-certified appliances include upright freezers, clothes washers and many other types of home equipment, which use between 10% and 50% less energy than uncertified items.
    AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

    People don’t always choose efficient products

    Energy Star seeks to tackle a wide range of problems that can result in people deciding not to buy energy-efficient products.

    One problem is that efficient models often come with higher up-front costs. While efficient models save money over time, that higher purchase price can discourage buyers. Energy Star helps counter this problem by clearly showing how much money can be saved on energy costs over the lifetime of the product – as compared with noncertified products – and by offering rebates that reduce the initial expense.

    Another problem involves what economists call “split incentives.” A landlord might not want to pay a higher price up front for energy-efficient appliances if the tenants are the ones who will save money on the utility bills. And renters may not want to spend a lot of money on appliances or equipment in a place they do not own. Energy Star tries to bridge this divide by promoting whole-building certifications, which encourage landlords to invest in their buildings’ energy efficiency with the goal of making their properties more attractive to tenants.

    The countless varieties of refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other items on the market can also create confusion. Consumers who just look at manufacturers’ promotional material may find it very hard to determine which appliances truly deliver better energy efficiency. The Energy Star label makes this comparison easier: If the label is there, it is among the most efficient choices available.

    And consumers are often skeptical of manufacturers’ claims – especially when it comes to new technologies or environmental promises. Energy Star’s status as a program backed by the government, rather than a private company, gives it a level of independence and credibility that many other labels lack. People know the certification is based on science, not sales tactics.

    Lastly, Energy Star helps overcome the problem that many people are not aware of how much energy their appliances consume, or how those choices contribute to climate change. By connecting everyday products to larger environmental outcomes, Energy Star helps consumers understand the effects of their decisions, without needing to become energy experts.

    The program delivers real results

    Since its inception, more than 800,000 appliance models have earned Energy Star certification based on the criteria for their type of product.

    The same principles that make the label valuable for consumer appliances – independent certification, clear metrics and a focus on results – have proved equally effective in real estate. Nearly 45,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned certification. And there have been more than 2.5 million Energy Star-certified homes and apartments built in the U.S.

    In 2023 alone, over 190,000 new homes and apartments were certified, representing more than 12% of all new residential construction nationwide.

    Energy Star-certified homes are designed to be at least 10% more energy efficient than those built to standard building codes, with more insulation and windows and lights that are energy-efficient, as well as appliances. These enhancements can translate to better quality, comfort and long-term cost savings for homeowners.

    Commercial buildings, which account for about 18% of total U.S. energy use, have also benefited substantially. Research I was involved in found that certified commercial buildings use an average of 19% less energy than their noncertified counterparts.

    Computers can sleep, too – not just cats. Both types conserve energy.
    Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Why government leadership matters

    Energy Star’s status as a government-led label contributes to its credibility as a more neutral and science-based source of information than commercial labels.

    Energy Star’s government connections also bring scale: By requiring federal purchases to have Energy Star certifications, the federal government can influence manufacturers. For example, a federal executive order in 1993 required government agencies to purchase only computers that had been Energy Star-certified, which required them to have energy-saving sleep functions.

    In response, manufacturers began including the feature so they could sell their products to the government. Consumers soon came to expect the sleep feature on all computers.

    A quiet success story in energy and climate

    Energy Star does not grab headlines. It does not rely on regulation or mandates. Yet it has quietly become one of the most effective tools the U.S. has for improving energy efficiency across homes, offices and public buildings.

    That said, the program is not without its limitations. Some critics have pointed out that not all certified products consistently perform at the highest efficiency levels. Other critics note that the benefits of Energy Star are more accessible to wealthier consumers who can afford up-front investments, even with available rebates. And the EPA itself has, at times, struggled to manage the certification process and update standards in line with the latest technological advances.

    At a time when energy costs and climate concerns are rising, Energy Star stands out as a rare example of a practical, nonpartisan program that delivers real benefits. It helps individuals, businesses and communities save money, lower emissions and take part in a more sustainable future – one smart decision at a time.

    Magali Delmas received funding from the US EPA in 2002 for research on Environmental Management Strategies and Corporate Performance.

    – ref. Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet – https://theconversation.com/energy-star-on-the-trump-administrations-target-list-has-a-long-history-of-helping-consumers-wallets-and-the-planet-258152

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

    The blue Energy Star label is widely recognized across the U.S. Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.

    Energy Star was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and later expanded in partnership with the Department of Energy with a simple goal: making it easier for consumers and businesses to choose energy-efficient products, helping them reduce energy use and save money, without sacrificing quality or performance.

    As a scholar of energy conservation, I have studied the Energy Star program’s development and public impact, including how it has shaped consumer behavior and environmental outcomes.

    According to the EPA, it has saved consumers an average of US$15 billion a year on energy costs since its inception, a massive return on a program that costs taxpayers an estimated $32 million a year.

    How Energy Star works

    When you see an Energy Star label on a product, it means that product has met strict energy efficiency standards set by the EPA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, which tests how much energy appliances use. The federal agencies also consult with product manufacturers, utilities and others to figure out how best to improve products and determine how cost-effective changes might be.

    Products that earn the Energy Star certification typically use significantly less energy than standard models, often between 10% and 50% less. The energy – and financial – savings can add up quickly, especially when homes or buildings have multiple Energy Star appliances and systems.

    Energy Star itself does not manufacture or sell products. Instead, it acts as a trusted third-party certifier, providing consumers and businesses with reliable information and clear labeling. It also offers information to help people estimate energy savings and compare long-term costs, making it easier to identify high-performing, cost-effective options. Manufacturers participating in Energy Star seek to improve their environmental reputation and increase their market share, giving them a strong incentive to meet the program’s efficiency criteria.

    Today, the label appears on refrigerators, dishwashers, laptops, commercial buildings and even newly built homes. The government says people in more than 90% of American households recognize the label.

    Energy Star-certified appliances include upright freezers, clothes washers and many other types of home equipment, which use between 10% and 50% less energy than uncertified items.
    AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

    People don’t always choose efficient products

    Energy Star seeks to tackle a wide range of problems that can result in people deciding not to buy energy-efficient products.

    One problem is that efficient models often come with higher up-front costs. While efficient models save money over time, that higher purchase price can discourage buyers. Energy Star helps counter this problem by clearly showing how much money can be saved on energy costs over the lifetime of the product – as compared with noncertified products – and by offering rebates that reduce the initial expense.

    Another problem involves what economists call “split incentives.” A landlord might not want to pay a higher price up front for energy-efficient appliances if the tenants are the ones who will save money on the utility bills. And renters may not want to spend a lot of money on appliances or equipment in a place they do not own. Energy Star tries to bridge this divide by promoting whole-building certifications, which encourage landlords to invest in their buildings’ energy efficiency with the goal of making their properties more attractive to tenants.

    The countless varieties of refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other items on the market can also create confusion. Consumers who just look at manufacturers’ promotional material may find it very hard to determine which appliances truly deliver better energy efficiency. The Energy Star label makes this comparison easier: If the label is there, it is among the most efficient choices available.

    And consumers are often skeptical of manufacturers’ claims – especially when it comes to new technologies or environmental promises. Energy Star’s status as a program backed by the government, rather than a private company, gives it a level of independence and credibility that many other labels lack. People know the certification is based on science, not sales tactics.

    Lastly, Energy Star helps overcome the problem that many people are not aware of how much energy their appliances consume, or how those choices contribute to climate change. By connecting everyday products to larger environmental outcomes, Energy Star helps consumers understand the effects of their decisions, without needing to become energy experts.

    The program delivers real results

    Since its inception, more than 800,000 appliance models have earned Energy Star certification based on the criteria for their type of product.

    The same principles that make the label valuable for consumer appliances – independent certification, clear metrics and a focus on results – have proved equally effective in real estate. Nearly 45,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned certification. And there have been more than 2.5 million Energy Star-certified homes and apartments built in the U.S.

    In 2023 alone, over 190,000 new homes and apartments were certified, representing more than 12% of all new residential construction nationwide.

    Energy Star-certified homes are designed to be at least 10% more energy efficient than those built to standard building codes, with more insulation and windows and lights that are energy-efficient, as well as appliances. These enhancements can translate to better quality, comfort and long-term cost savings for homeowners.

    Commercial buildings, which account for about 18% of total U.S. energy use, have also benefited substantially. Research I was involved in found that certified commercial buildings use an average of 19% less energy than their noncertified counterparts.

    Computers can sleep, too – not just cats. Both types conserve energy.
    Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Why government leadership matters

    Energy Star’s status as a government-led label contributes to its credibility as a more neutral and science-based source of information than commercial labels.

    Energy Star’s government connections also bring scale: By requiring federal purchases to have Energy Star certifications, the federal government can influence manufacturers. For example, a federal executive order in 1993 required government agencies to purchase only computers that had been Energy Star-certified, which required them to have energy-saving sleep functions.

    In response, manufacturers began including the feature so they could sell their products to the government. Consumers soon came to expect the sleep feature on all computers.

    A quiet success story in energy and climate

    Energy Star does not grab headlines. It does not rely on regulation or mandates. Yet it has quietly become one of the most effective tools the U.S. has for improving energy efficiency across homes, offices and public buildings.

    That said, the program is not without its limitations. Some critics have pointed out that not all certified products consistently perform at the highest efficiency levels. Other critics note that the benefits of Energy Star are more accessible to wealthier consumers who can afford up-front investments, even with available rebates. And the EPA itself has, at times, struggled to manage the certification process and update standards in line with the latest technological advances.

    At a time when energy costs and climate concerns are rising, Energy Star stands out as a rare example of a practical, nonpartisan program that delivers real benefits. It helps individuals, businesses and communities save money, lower emissions and take part in a more sustainable future – one smart decision at a time.

    Magali Delmas received funding from the US EPA in 2002 for research on Environmental Management Strategies and Corporate Performance.

    – ref. Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet – https://theconversation.com/energy-star-on-the-trump-administrations-target-list-has-a-long-history-of-helping-consumers-wallets-and-the-planet-258152

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles

    The blue Energy Star label is widely recognized across the U.S. Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Since the early 1990s, the small blue Energy Star label has appeared on millions of household appliances, electronics and even buildings across the United States. But as the Trump administration considers terminating some or all of the program, it is worth a look at what exactly this government-backed label means, and why it has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the country.

    Energy Star was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and later expanded in partnership with the Department of Energy with a simple goal: making it easier for consumers and businesses to choose energy-efficient products, helping them reduce energy use and save money, without sacrificing quality or performance.

    As a scholar of energy conservation, I have studied the Energy Star program’s development and public impact, including how it has shaped consumer behavior and environmental outcomes.

    According to the EPA, it has saved consumers an average of US$15 billion a year on energy costs since its inception, a massive return on a program that costs taxpayers an estimated $32 million a year.

    How Energy Star works

    When you see an Energy Star label on a product, it means that product has met strict energy efficiency standards set by the EPA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy, which tests how much energy appliances use. The federal agencies also consult with product manufacturers, utilities and others to figure out how best to improve products and determine how cost-effective changes might be.

    Products that earn the Energy Star certification typically use significantly less energy than standard models, often between 10% and 50% less. The energy – and financial – savings can add up quickly, especially when homes or buildings have multiple Energy Star appliances and systems.

    Energy Star itself does not manufacture or sell products. Instead, it acts as a trusted third-party certifier, providing consumers and businesses with reliable information and clear labeling. It also offers information to help people estimate energy savings and compare long-term costs, making it easier to identify high-performing, cost-effective options. Manufacturers participating in Energy Star seek to improve their environmental reputation and increase their market share, giving them a strong incentive to meet the program’s efficiency criteria.

    Today, the label appears on refrigerators, dishwashers, laptops, commercial buildings and even newly built homes. The government says people in more than 90% of American households recognize the label.

    Energy Star-certified appliances include upright freezers, clothes washers and many other types of home equipment, which use between 10% and 50% less energy than uncertified items.
    AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

    People don’t always choose efficient products

    Energy Star seeks to tackle a wide range of problems that can result in people deciding not to buy energy-efficient products.

    One problem is that efficient models often come with higher up-front costs. While efficient models save money over time, that higher purchase price can discourage buyers. Energy Star helps counter this problem by clearly showing how much money can be saved on energy costs over the lifetime of the product – as compared with noncertified products – and by offering rebates that reduce the initial expense.

    Another problem involves what economists call “split incentives.” A landlord might not want to pay a higher price up front for energy-efficient appliances if the tenants are the ones who will save money on the utility bills. And renters may not want to spend a lot of money on appliances or equipment in a place they do not own. Energy Star tries to bridge this divide by promoting whole-building certifications, which encourage landlords to invest in their buildings’ energy efficiency with the goal of making their properties more attractive to tenants.

    The countless varieties of refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other items on the market can also create confusion. Consumers who just look at manufacturers’ promotional material may find it very hard to determine which appliances truly deliver better energy efficiency. The Energy Star label makes this comparison easier: If the label is there, it is among the most efficient choices available.

    And consumers are often skeptical of manufacturers’ claims – especially when it comes to new technologies or environmental promises. Energy Star’s status as a program backed by the government, rather than a private company, gives it a level of independence and credibility that many other labels lack. People know the certification is based on science, not sales tactics.

    Lastly, Energy Star helps overcome the problem that many people are not aware of how much energy their appliances consume, or how those choices contribute to climate change. By connecting everyday products to larger environmental outcomes, Energy Star helps consumers understand the effects of their decisions, without needing to become energy experts.

    The program delivers real results

    Since its inception, more than 800,000 appliance models have earned Energy Star certification based on the criteria for their type of product.

    The same principles that make the label valuable for consumer appliances – independent certification, clear metrics and a focus on results – have proved equally effective in real estate. Nearly 45,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned certification. And there have been more than 2.5 million Energy Star-certified homes and apartments built in the U.S.

    In 2023 alone, over 190,000 new homes and apartments were certified, representing more than 12% of all new residential construction nationwide.

    Energy Star-certified homes are designed to be at least 10% more energy efficient than those built to standard building codes, with more insulation and windows and lights that are energy-efficient, as well as appliances. These enhancements can translate to better quality, comfort and long-term cost savings for homeowners.

    Commercial buildings, which account for about 18% of total U.S. energy use, have also benefited substantially. Research I was involved in found that certified commercial buildings use an average of 19% less energy than their noncertified counterparts.

    Computers can sleep, too – not just cats. Both types conserve energy.
    Markus Scholz/picture alliance via Getty Images

    Why government leadership matters

    Energy Star’s status as a government-led label contributes to its credibility as a more neutral and science-based source of information than commercial labels.

    Energy Star’s government connections also bring scale: By requiring federal purchases to have Energy Star certifications, the federal government can influence manufacturers. For example, a federal executive order in 1993 required government agencies to purchase only computers that had been Energy Star-certified, which required them to have energy-saving sleep functions.

    In response, manufacturers began including the feature so they could sell their products to the government. Consumers soon came to expect the sleep feature on all computers.

    A quiet success story in energy and climate

    Energy Star does not grab headlines. It does not rely on regulation or mandates. Yet it has quietly become one of the most effective tools the U.S. has for improving energy efficiency across homes, offices and public buildings.

    That said, the program is not without its limitations. Some critics have pointed out that not all certified products consistently perform at the highest efficiency levels. Other critics note that the benefits of Energy Star are more accessible to wealthier consumers who can afford up-front investments, even with available rebates. And the EPA itself has, at times, struggled to manage the certification process and update standards in line with the latest technological advances.

    At a time when energy costs and climate concerns are rising, Energy Star stands out as a rare example of a practical, nonpartisan program that delivers real benefits. It helps individuals, businesses and communities save money, lower emissions and take part in a more sustainable future – one smart decision at a time.

    Magali Delmas received funding from the US EPA in 2002 for research on Environmental Management Strategies and Corporate Performance.

    – ref. Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet – https://theconversation.com/energy-star-on-the-trump-administrations-target-list-has-a-long-history-of-helping-consumers-wallets-and-the-planet-258152

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: What Danish climate migration drama, Families Like Ours, gets wrong about rising sea levels

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Florian Steig, DPhil Student, Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford

    In the Danish TV drama Families Like Ours, one melancholic line from high-school student Laura captures the emotional toll of climate displacement: “Soon we will vanish like bubbles in a creek.” This seven-part series imagines a near future in which Denmark is being evacuated due to rising sea levels – a government-mandated relocation of an entire population.

    The series challenges the fantasy that wealthy western countries are immune to the far-reaching effects of climate change. Rather than focusing on catastrophic storylines, Families Like Ours portrays the mundane, bureaucratic and affective aspects of relocating a population in anticipation of a creeping crisis: the scramble for visas, the fractures that appear between families, and the inequalities in social and economic capital that shape people’s chances for a new life.

    Yet, the idea that Denmark could soon get submerged is not grounded in science. More worryingly, the narrative of the unavoidable uninhabitability of entire nations and millions of international migrants flooding Europe is misleading, dangerous, and sidelines deeply political questions about adaptation to sea level rise that should be dealt with now.

    The trailer for Families Like Ours.

    Sea levels are rising by a few millimetres a year. That pace is accelerating. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that, by 2100, sea levels could rise by up to one metre on average. Beyond 2100, sea levels could rise by several metres, although these long-term scenarios are highly uncertain.

    Even in extreme scenarios, these developments would unfold over several decades and centuries. It’s unlikely that permanent submergence of large areas of land will make Denmark uninhabitable.

    Still, sea level rise poses a serious risk to the livelihoods of millions of people living in coastal zones. In the UK, many homes in Norfolk and Fairbourne, Wales, are already at risk from coastal erosion, for instance.

    These changes are subtle. They do not warrant the evacuation of an entire nation, but degrade coastal livelihoods over time. Houses in high-risk areas like these may become uninsurable, devalued or too risky to live in. This will force people to move.

    In addition, sea level rise makes coastal flooding more likely. In European high-income countries, including Denmark, rising waters already threaten coastal communities. Without adaptation, hundreds of thousands of homes in cities such as Copenhagen could be at risk.

    The danger of mass migration narratives

    However, depicting climate change as a driver of uncontrolled mass migration is misleading. Sea level rise will contribute to coastal migration, and state-led relocation is already a reality especially in Africa and Asia. But climate migration predominantly occurs within countries or regions. International migration from climate change impacts is the exception, not the norm.

    To capture these complexities, some researchers prefer the term “climate mobility”. Mobility can be forced or voluntary, permanent or temporary, even seasonal. Some communities and people resist relocation plans and stay put.

    Families Like Ours reinforces longstanding narratives that frame certain parts of the world as destined to become uninhabitable. Even UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a “mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale” due to sea level rise.

    As a researcher working on climate adaptation, I notice that sea level rise and climate migration are increasingly discussed at the global level. Discussions focus, for example, on the protection of affected populations and continued statehood of nations after their potential submergence. A new global alliance of cities and regions tackling sea level rise called the Ocean Rise & Coastal Resilience Coalition considers a “managed retreat” not only as inevitable but as a rational and desirable adaptation pathway for many cities and regions.

    Scientists have warned that creative storylines highlighting the “uninhabitability” of low-lying countries and regions, such as the Pacific, are not helpful. The mass migration narrative can be used by governments to justify extreme protectionist action and sideline urgent adaptation debates.

    States are not helpless in the face of sea level rise and submergence is not inevitable. As geographer Carol Farbotko and colleagues suggest, “habitability is mediated by human actions and is not a direct consequence of environmental change”. People often develop their own ways of living with rising waters, resisting narratives of submergence. State-led adaptation is possible, but depends on finance, which is unequally distributed.

    People’s migration decisions can seldomly be attributed to just climate impact. A community’s capacity to respond hinges on social, political, economic and demographic factors. Adaptation measures are costly. This raises deeply political questions over who gets to be protected, who is left behind, and how managed retreat can benefit the most affected people and places in a fair way. We need to overcome mass migration myths and start a serious and justice-focused debate about the future of our shorelines.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Florian Steig receives funding from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes).

    – ref. What Danish climate migration drama, Families Like Ours, gets wrong about rising sea levels – https://theconversation.com/what-danish-climate-migration-drama-families-like-ours-gets-wrong-about-rising-sea-levels-259234

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: The US’s asbestos U-turn: why the Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering its ban

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Allen Haddrell, Research Fellow, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol

    Once asbestos enters the lungs, it doesn’t leave. Its sharp, microscopic fibres scar tissues, trigger inflammation and can cause deadly diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer and laryngeal cancer. That’s why over 60 countries have banned it – and why the US mostly phased it out.

    In 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved to ban all industrial uses. But on June 17, the agency said it would revisit the Biden‑era ban.

    Asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate mineral made of thin, fibrous crystals. It is fire-resistant, durable, lightweight, flexible and insulating. This unique blend of properties resulted in its widespread use over millennia. Indeed, asbestos fibres have been found woven into pottery and textiles from 2500BC.

    Its resistance to friction and electricity made it desirable during the Industrial Revolution for use in boilers and steam engines. In the 20th century, the useful mix of physical properties resulted in asbestos becoming ubiquitous in the construction and automotive industries, peaking in the 1970s.

    Although the properties of asbestos at the macroscopic level are beneficial, at the microscopic level it’s anything but. When dust from asbestos (0.1 to tens of microns) is inhaled, it deposits throughout the respiratory system, causing inflammation and scarring of lung tissue.

    While the adverse health effects associated with asbestos exposure were observed in ancient Rome, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the full extent of harm was realised. Specifically, asbestos exposure is linked to numerous respiratory diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

    It took a long time for people to understand how dangerous asbestos really is. The main reason is that the illnesses it causes often don’t show up for decades. This long delay makes it very hard to link exposure to the disease it causes.

    Making this connection is also made more difficult when those most familiar with it, including manufacturers such as Johns-Manville and industry groups such as the Asbestos Information Association (AIA) were actively denying the connection, and suppressing reports demonstrating the link.

    By the 1970s, the volume of evidence showing the harms of asbestos had become overwhelming. The AIA evolved its argument, claiming that the practices in the industry had changed and that the risks were from a bygone era “when the dust control equipment in use was not as efficient or as sophisticated”. Although the association never explicitly admitted that asbestos caused harm.

    Since it can take decades for the health effects of asbestos exposure to fully manifest, the full extent of the damage caused by asbestos exposure from the 1970s and onward, an era where the dust control equipment was claimed to be “efficient and sophisticated”.

    The Asbestos Information Association, once a key industry group promoting the safe use of asbestos, quietly disbanded in the early 2000s as litigation and public health evidence mounted.

    History of asbestos.

    What type of asbestos is the US considering unbanning?

    The EPA is considering unbanning chrysotile asbestos, also called white asbestos. This type of asbestos is often used in things like brake pads, gaskets and industrial equipment. In March 2024 the EPA banned it, stopping new uses and imports. The ban also included a gradual phase-out plan.

    Who is pushing for the unbanning and why now?

    From the outset, industry groups such as the American Chemistry Council (ACC) raised concerns about the EPA’s ban, warning that “a prohibition of an estimated 52% of annual production volume … that rapidly, could have substantial supply chain impacts”, particularly if manufacturers were bound by existing contracts or chose to cease production entirely.

    As for why now, one factor is the re-election of Donald Trump, who put his views on record some time ago downplaying the dangers of asbestos. In 1997, he wrote in his book Trump: The Art of the Comeback that asbestos is “100 percent safe, once applied”. A point not supported by the best available science.

    Why is the EPA considering unbanning it?

    According to former ACC employee and current senior official in EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Lynn Ann Dekleva, they want to consider if the ban “went beyond what is necessary to eliminate the unreasonable risk and whether alternative measures — such as requiring permanent workplace protection measures – would eliminate the unreasonable risk”.

    What industries still want to use this type of asbestos?

    The largest push appears to be coming from the chlor-alkali industry where they use it to produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide.

    Is this type of asbestos dangerous?

    Yes. There is no safe level of exposure.

    How many people could this affect?

    Each year, around 40,000 deaths in the US and about 5,000 in the UK are attributed to asbestos exposure. If lifted, it’s possible that the number in the US could increase over the coming decades while those in the UK will continue to fall.

    Does this mean asbestos could make a comeback elsewhere too?

    Unlikely. While global consensus moves toward stricter regulation, the US now finds itself at a crossroads, between scientific evidence and pressure from industry.

    Allen Haddrell 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.

    – ref. The US’s asbestos U-turn: why the Environmental Protection Agency is reconsidering its ban – https://theconversation.com/the-uss-asbestos-u-turn-why-the-environmental-protection-agency-is-reconsidering-its-ban-259597

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: South Africa’s frogs and reptiles get their own list of names in local languages

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Fortunate Mafeta Phaka, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher of herptile-human interactions, North-West University

    Naming all the creatures and plants in nature is no small task. Fortunate Phaka is a zoologist who has conducted the first comprehensive analysis of naming and classification of frogs and reptiles in nine South African cultures. The list includes 136 frog and 407 reptile species that have been scientifically described. He explains why it’s important to record all the species names that people use in their own languages.

    Why did you study the indigenous names of frogs and reptiles?

    I am interested in the interactions between wildlife and people. These interactions include, for example, how people use wildlife in figures of speech, harvesting of wildlife for consumption, and of course how animals are assigned names.

    If everyone’s names for things are known and shared, the ideas behind the names can also be shared, appreciated and valued.

    Conservation planning is improved by consideration of different wildlife perspectives, which is revealed partly by the names that different people give wildlife.

    Knowing local names can provide assurance that people from different cultural backgrounds are talking about the same species.

    In South Africa, for example, there are 11 official spoken languages and scientists use Latin names for species. Most people aren’t familiar with the scientific names.

    That’s why we extended the list of scientific, Afrikaans and English names of South African frogs and reptiles to include names in the country’s other nine official languages.

    How did you go about it, and what did you find?

    The project started as a pilot study in 2016, carried out in the Zululand area of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, where frog biodiversity is high and Indigenous cultural practices are still part of everyday life. Results of the pilot were published as a book in 2017 and as a scientific publication in 2019.

    Following the success of the pilot study, I collected responses from 287 South African Indigenous language speakers (aged between 25 and 57) using an online questionnaire and in-person interviews while on field trips, and reviewed 18 scientific articles, dissertations and books to study naming practices even further.

    The study shed light on the way people group animals (folk taxonomy) and how that compares with the way scientists group them (scientific taxonomy).

    It became clear that Indigenous language names were often assigned based on unique features of frogs or reptiles, such as the sound they make, how they move or where they are found. Most of these names group several species together based on their similarities. This meant most frog and reptile species did not have Indigenous language names that were unique to them. For example, zoologists have named eight different Reed Frog species from South Africa but these eight species were assigned one Indigenous name that groups them together.

    Male Painted Reed Frog (Umgqagqa opendiwe in IsiZulu) calling.
    Fortunate Phaka, Author provided (no reuse)918 KB (download)

    The organised way of assigning Indigenous names to animals has some similarities to how scientists assign names that are unique to each species. For example, the Grass Frog species are grouped together under the scientific genus Ptychadena, and in IsiZulu the same species are grouped under the name Uvete. These similarities meant we could combine scientific naming practices with Indigenous naming practices to give each species a unique name in multiple languages.

    To ensure the unique Indigenous names remained familiar to speakers of respective languages, we added descriptive terms to the existing general Indigenous names to make them specific, instead of coining an entirely new name. For example in IsiZulu the general name Umgqagqa (used for all Reed Frogs) became Umgqagqa opendiwe (specific name for the Painted Reed Frog). And several other descriptive terms were added to Umgqagqa to distinguish between the eight Reed Frog species of South Africa.

    Why does it matter to record the Indigenous names of species?

    Conservation hasn’t been doing a good job of being inclusive. Knowing Indigenous names and the local perspectives behind those names is a good way to start being aware of the multiple other perspectives. Conservation should ultimately be to everyone’s benefit.

    For a long time wildlife guidebooks have had very few Indigenous language names in them. With increased recording of Indigenous names, any South African would be able to open a wildlife guide and read a name in any of our 11 official spoken languages. Hopefully one day we can have more books like the Bilingual Guide to the Frogs of Zululand (IsiZulu version: Isiqondiso Sasefilidini Esindimimbili Ngamaxoxo AkwelaKwaZulu) that make it possible for you to read about your favourite wildlife in your preferred language.

    Has this been done for other groups of animals or plants?

    Birds and plants are two groups that have received this kind of attention.

    A recent scientific publication has worked on IsiZulu names for all South African birds and another publication studied the morphology of IsiZulu bird names. There has also been work on IsiXhosa insect names, and there has been a SeSotho animal word list published online. Indigenous names for African wildlife have received sporadic attention in the past, but with the recent increases in calls for consideration of Indigenous knowledge there has been increasing focus on understanding these names and using them.

    Do you have some favourite names?

    I have a lot of favourites but there are some names that stand out, like Senana (Sepedi general name for Rain Frogs) and Lebololo (Sepedi name for Puff adder). These names have the same root word or sound throughout most of the Indigenous South African languages and I am curious about how this happened. Rain Frogs are also called Senanatswidi in Sepedi and tswidi is an onomatopoeic reference to the whistling sound that Rain Frogs make.

    Fortunate Mafeta Phaka receives funding from National Research Foundation/South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity.

    – ref. South Africa’s frogs and reptiles get their own list of names in local languages – https://theconversation.com/south-africas-frogs-and-reptiles-get-their-own-list-of-names-in-local-languages-254643

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Marine fossil found in South Africa is one of a kind, thanks to unusual preservation

    Source: The Conversation – Africa (2) – By Sarah Gabbott, Professor of Palaeontology, University of Leicester

    A fossilised creature found in a South African roadside quarry 25 years ago has finally got an official name. The small, segmented, crustacean-like creature, dated to 444 million years ago, can now be introduced as Keurbos susanae. It belongs to the arthropod group of animals, which accounts for about 84% of all known species that exist today, including insects, spiders and crabs.

    Palaeontologist Sarah Gabbott explains what’s so unusual about her discovery, which she named as part of the process of describing it scientifically.

    What can you tell us about this creature and the environment it lived in?

    The fossil is about 50cm long and has 46 almost identical segments. Projecting from each is a delicate, gill-like structure. It would probably have looked like a bit like a horseshoe crab and the gills would have been for absorbing oxygen from the water it lived in. Its insides are exquisitely well-preserved, which is very unusual for fossils – normally only the hard, more decay-resistant external features would be preserved. You can see bundles of muscle fibres that would have powered the limbs, tendons and an internal scaffold structure that gave the animal rigidity.

    We think it would have spent most of its life living on, or more likely just above, the seafloor, probably walking and swimming in an undulatory (waving) motion.

    It lived in the immediate aftermath of the end Ordovician extinction event more than 440 million years ago, caused by glaciations (the spread of icy conditions) across vast swaths of the planet. This extinction wiped out about 85% of Earth’s species. The marine basin that Keurbos susanae inhabited was probably very cold and at times covered with sea ice.

    It was a relatively hostile environment in other ways too. Our analyses of the chemistry of the shales – the sediments on the sea bed where this animal and others lived, now turned to rock – shows that they were deposited under anoxic conditions (that is, there was no oxygen circulating freely in the water). And at times free hydrogen sulfide occurred in the sediment porewaters (the water in tiny spaces between grains of sediment) and even above the seafloor. Not much could live in these conditions and this was critical to this fossil’s amazing preservation.

    It meant the carcass was not scavenged by other animals after it died. Also, the chemistry was important in the process whereby the soft tissues, which should usually rot away rapidly, became mineralised quickly after death. This turned the animal’s anatomy to mineral which survived for hundreds of millions of years until it was discovered.

    It is preserved “inside out”.

    Keurbos susanae is a new genus and species which we are still trying to place among other early arthropods. The fact that its insides are better preserved than its outside makes it difficult to compare with other fossils that are preserved the “other way round”.

    How did you find the fossil and what else has been found in that area?

    The site is in the Cedarberg mountains, north of Cape Town. To collect fossils in this area you need a permit granted by the Council for Geoscience. Fossil-bearing rocks are protected by law because of their heritage and scientific value.

    Fossil hunting in these rocks takes a lot of hard work and patience, splitting open the shales with a hammer and chisel. These shale rocks are what’s left of layers of silt that were once on the sea floor. The fossils here are super rare: you can dig and split shale for days and not find a single fossil! But we know there are some in there because of discoveries made previously.

    I found two specimens. The first one is complete but the second one only has the middle part of the body preserved.

    In the same rocks we have found some of the earliest vertebrate fossils with mineralised teeth, called conodonts. They were eel shaped and predatory. Also eurypterids (sea scorpions), arthropods with powerful swimming appendages, which would have cruised through the frigid waters. There are also orthocones – a type of chambered cephalopod – like the mollusc fossils called ammonites, which have been found in large numbers, but with a straight shell instead of coiled.

    Why has it taken 25 years to describe Keurbos susanae scientifically?

    Two reasons really.

    First, because of the nature of preservation, where all the insides are perfectly preserved but the outside (the carapace or body covering) is absent, it is just difficult to interpret and compare to other fossils. And secondly because the specimen’s head and legs are missing and these are key characteristics that palaeontologists would use to help them to understand the evolutionary relationships of such fossils.

    If more specimens were to be found, with their heads and legs, we could be more certain about where this fossil fitted in the scheme of life. But the site where I found it has been covered in a lot of rock from quarrying activity. So we decided to describe what we had in the meantime, and not wait for more examples.

    The fossil’s name, Keurbos susanae, refers to the place where I found it and to my mother, Sue, who encouraged me to follow a career that made me happy, whatever that might be.

    Sarah Gabbott receives funding from Natural Environmental Research Council; National Geographic. She is affiliated with Green Circle Nature Regeneration CIC a not for profit Environmental Community Interest Company in the UK

    – ref. Marine fossil found in South Africa is one of a kind, thanks to unusual preservation – https://theconversation.com/marine-fossil-found-in-south-africa-is-one-of-a-kind-thanks-to-unusual-preservation-255256

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Protection of the Zamostea-Luncă Forest and compliance with EU legislation – E-001990/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is committed to ensuring that Natura 2000 sites are safeguarded against adverse effects from infrastructure projects.

    To assess the adequacy of current safeguards, in particular stemming from the Habitats Directive (HD)[1], the Commission regularly monitors the implementation of EU environmental legislation, including the HD and the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive[2].

    The Commission also works closely with Member States to provide guidance and support in the implementation of these Directives.

    Emergency legislation can be used to introduce derogations from EU environmental law, but such derogations must be strictly limited to what is necessary to address the emergency situation and must not compromise the overall protection of the environment.

    Article 6(4) of the HD allows for derogations from the prohibition on plans or projects that may have a significant impact on a Natura 2000 site, but only in exceptional circumstances, when no other alternatives are available and mitigation measures are not enough, and subject to strict conditions.

    Any derogations introduced via emergency legislation must be carefully assessed to ensure that they are necessary, proportionate, and do not compromise the integrity of the Natura 2000 site or its network as a whole.

    Without prejudice to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties, Member States are primarily responsible for ensuring compliance with EU law.

    In line with its strategic approach on enforcement action[3], which focuses on cases of systemic non-compliance, the Commission considers that the means of redress available under national legislation would be the most appropriate mechanism to address individual cases of possible non-compliance.

    • [1] Articles 6(3) and (4): Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7-50.
    • [2] Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1-21, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014, OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1-18.
    • [3] As set out in the communication of 19 January 2017 (EU law: Better results through better application — C/2016/8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10-20) and in the communication of 13 October 2022 COM(2022) 518 final — Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to UK heatwave

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Scientists comment on the UK heatwave.

    Prof Richard Allan, Professor of Climate Science, University of Reading, said:

    “The UK is on the edge of a large dome of heat encompassing continental Europe which is briefly causing heatwave conditions to affect southern Britain as June turns to July. Ocean temperatures are also up to 2 degrees Celsius above average across the waters to the southwest of the UK and hotter still in the western Mediterranean. The ebb and flow of gigantic atmospheric waves have generated the stable, cloud-free conditions for heat to build up across Western Europe.  But rising greenhouse gas levels due to human activities are making it more difficult for Earth to lose excess heat to space and the warmer, thirstier atmosphere is more effective at drying soils, meaning heatwaves are intensifying, with moderate heat events now becoming extreme. The severity of summer heatwaves, but also extremes of dry as well as wet weather events, will continue to worsen until we rein in our greenhouse gas emissions and stabilise our warming climate.”

     

    Dr Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor at the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, University of Oxford, said:

    “Populations in urban areas like London are particularly susceptible to extreme heat as the concrete and asphalt absorb and re-emit the sun’s radiation, amplifying its impact on our bodies.  For this reason, outdoor workers are particularly at risk and should take regular breaks to hydrate in the shade.

    “Soaring temperatures will see a corresponding rise in demand for cooling systems like air conditioning, which can put a strain on our energy infrastructure. Air conditioning and other cooling systems become crucial to maintaining health, productivity and quality of life amidst rising temperatures. However, access to cooling is unfortunately rarely equal even in developed countries, and the UK’s most disadvantaged people will bear the brunt of this heatwave.”

    “Over-reliance on air conditioning creates a negative feedback loop: more fossil fuels are burnt to power more air-con units, which in turn worsens climate change and raises global temperatures. Use of fans, shade, green spaces and natural ventilation can all help to reduce air conditioning usage. When we have to rely on air-con, it is important to make sure the systems we are using are the most energy efficient.”

     

    Dr Laurence Wainwright, Departmental Lecturer at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, said:

    “While news coverage of hot weather usually includes images of sunbathing and ice creams, an often-overlooked consequence of heatwaves is their negative impact on our mental health and behaviour. Violent incidents increase, depression worsens and the effect of psychiatric medications on our body can be altered. For every 1°C increase in monthly average temperature, mental health-related deaths increase by around 2.2%. Spikes in relative humidity also result in a higher occurrence of suicide. Learning to adapt to the increasing frequency of heatwaves brought by climate change will mean taking account of all its impacts – including on our state of mind.”

     

    Dr Chloe Brimicombe, Climate Scientist, Royal Meteorological Society, said:

    “We are yet to have an attribution study, the heatwave earlier in June in the UK was 100 times more likely with Climate Change. In general we can say the heatwaves and hot spells in the summer are increasing in duration, how often they occur and intensity, how hot temperatures get to. We also think they are growing in area so more people are exposed every time they occur. 

    “Beyond heat killing people. They cause a rise in hospitalisations especially in the vulnerable groups to heat. In some parts of Europe it has been shown that exposure to extreme heat can raise the likelihood of preterm births and also lower birth weight babies with developmental delay. It can change how long people breastfeed for. In the long term instances of kidney disease also rise. 

    “We know it can cause a rise in psychosis and suicides. And an increase in small level crime. 

    “It puts pressure on power grids. Roads melts, railway tracks can overheat, there are signal failures. It puts pressure on the food supply chain and refrigerated lorries. It also can cause a reduction with dry conditions in crops and sunburn in apple and grapes. 

    “It can reduce appetites, it also can reduce productivity if proper work-rest schedules aren’t in place. 

    “Shopping patterns change. With less people going shopping or shopping for different products at different times. 

    “It impacts every part of our society. It will continue to increase unless we transition to net zero and how fast we do this also impacts how much worse these events will get. 

    “I think it is important that proper early warning systems that save lives are designed to be supported by other policy areas such as urban design and improving critical infrastructure. They should be integrated into our societal system better.” 

     

    Dr Friederike Otto, Associate Professor, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said:

    “We absolutely do not need to do an attribution study to know that this heatwave is hotter than it would have been without our continued burning of oil, coal and gas. Countless studies have shown that climate change is an absolute game-changer when it comes to heat in Europe, making heatwaves much more frequent, especially the hottest ones, and more intense. Heatwaves are called the silent killer, for a reason, every year thousands of people in Europe die due to extreme heat, particularly those that live in poorly insulated homes, on busy, polluted roads, and that have already health problems. But extreme heat also leads to agricultural losses, infrastructure failure and puts a big strain on plants and animals. To stop people from dying in ever larger numbers we need to stop burning fossil fuels, but we also need to adapt.”

     

    Dr Michael Byrne, Reader in Climate Science, University of St Andrews, said:

    “Heat domes – the cause of this week’s European heatwave – are nothing new. They have always happened and always will happen. Heat domes occur when high pressure weather systems, normally lasting a few days, get stuck in place for a week or more. When this atmospheric ‘blocking’ happens in summertime, heatwaves occur. But what is new are the temperatures heat domes deliver: Europe is more than 2 degrees Celsius warmer than in pre-industrial times, so when a heat dome occurs it drives a hotter heatwave.

    “Some research suggests heat domes will become more common as climate warms, with more frequent heatwaves as a result. There is large uncertainty regarding the future of heat domes, with no scientific consensus yet. But what is crystal clear is that climate change is loading the dice such that when a heat dome does occur, it brings hotter and more dangerous temperatures.”

     

    Dr Leslie Mabon, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Systems, The Open University, said:

    “The extreme high temperatures we are seeing in the UK are being exacerbated by the same phenomenon that is causing the heat dome across Europe. The ‘heat dome’ happens when an area of high pressure air stays over the same area for days or weeks, trapping hot air below it which then expands outwards like a dome.

    “In the UK, heat-related illnesses, greater risk for this with pre-existing conditions, and wildfires can all come about because of heatwaves. This is another reminder that climate change makes extremes like this more frequent or intense.”

     

     

    Declared interests

    Prof Richard Allan: No conflicting interests

    Dr Radhika Khosla: No declarations

    Dr Laurence Wainwright: No declarations

    Dr Chloe Brimicombe: No declarations

    Dr Friederike Otto: No declarations

    Dr Michael Byrne: No declarations

    Dr Leslie Mabon: Leslie Mabon is an Ambassador for Scotland’s National Centre for Resilience. This is a voluntary position, committed to ensuring that government, industry and society are able to make decisions about resilience that are informed by the best available evidence.

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 59: Joint Statement on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    World news story

    UN Human Rights Council 59: Joint Statement on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change

    Joint Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change. Delivered at the 59th HRC in Geneva.

    Thank you Mr President.

    Austria, Canada, Colombia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, the Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, Panama, and the United Kingdom thank the Special Rapporteur for her report.

    Climate change and environmental degradation pose a risk to the lives and wellbeing of individuals and communities across the world, especially the most marginalised. This is compounded by the impacts of the fossil fuel life cycle.

    3.5 billion people now live in contexts highly vulnerable to climate change. Rapid and enduring action must be taken to safeguard the full enjoyment of human rights for individuals both now and in the future.

    As per the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement adopted at COP28, advancing the transition away from fossil fuels is crucial.

    It deserves mention in this session’s human rights and climate change resolution. 

    We will continue to demonstrate leadership, including through the Global Clean Power Alliance Initiative, and our ambitious and credible 2035 NDC targets. 

    Environmental defenders and Indigenous Peoples are vital stewards of nature. We support their meaningful participation and leadership in climate action.

    Special Rapporteur, what more can states do to build global consensus and advance the transition away from fossil fuels? 

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace activists cover Setas de Sevilla to call for climate action

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Sevilla, Spain – BREAKING: Activists from Greenpeace Spain today covered the iconic Setas de Sevilla monument with a massive banner, displaying the message: “They are destroying the planet. And you are paying for it.” The action marked the first day of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development Conference (FfD4).

    Eva Saldaña, Executive Director of Greenpeace Spain and Portugal, said “Global activism is the essence of our democracy and climate justice. If we want to build a green and fair world, the people have to unite against the takeover by billionaires and polluters, and call for a redistribution of wealth and power in the multilateral arena and international financial institutions. Global justice must prevail over greed!”

    ENDS

    Yesterday’s release: Giant baby Musk float in march for tax justice at UN summit in Sevilla: ‘Make rich polluters pay’

    Members of the Greenpeace delegation in Seville are available for interviews in Spanish, English, German, and Swahili.

    Photos and Videos can be downloaded via Greenpeace Media Library and will be updated throughout the conference. 

    Contacts in Seville:

    Tal Harris, Global Media Lead – Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign, Greenpeace International. +41-782530550, [email protected]  

    Begoña Rodríguez, Media Lead – Climate Responsibility Team, Greenpeace Spain & Portugal. +34 605248097, [email protected]

    Additional contacts: 

    Christine Gebeneter, EU Communication lead, Greenpeace CEE based in Austria, +43 664 8403807, [email protected] 

    Lee Kuen, Global Comms Lead – Fair Share campaign, Greenpeace International. +601112527489, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Arab States Advance Regional Action through First Coordination Meeting on Marine Disaster Risk Reduction

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Alexandria, Egypt – 30 June 2025 – Representatives from Arab states, regional organizations, and international partners convened from 28 to 30 June at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Abu Qir for the First Coordination Meeting of the Arab Programme for Reducing Marine Disasters.

    Organized under the auspices of the League of Arab States and hosted by AASTMT, the three-day meeting marked a significant step towards operationalizing the Arab Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction by establishing a coordinated regional programme to address marine disaster risks.

    Strengthening Regional Capacities and Coordination

    The meeting opened with remarks from Dr. Mahmoud Fathallah, Director of the Department of Environment and Meteorology and Supervisor of Humanitarian Affairs, Water Resources, and Disaster Risk Reduction at the League of Arab States, and Dr. Ismail Abdel Ghaffar, President of AASTMT. Speakers highlighted the urgent need to enhance preparedness and reduce risks associated with marine hazards, including intensified storms, sea level rise, oil spills, and pollution that threaten ecosystems, livelihoods, and coastal resilience across the region.

    Key Outcomes

    Participants engaged in four thematic sessions covering:

    • Development of the Arab Programme for Reducing Marine Disasters Concept and the 2025–2027 Action Plan, facilitated by UNDRR and AASTMT experts.
    • Presentations on global and regional marine disaster risk reduction efforts by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), European Union Commission, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED).
    • Sharing of national experiences and lessons learned by Arab states.
    • Identification of regional priorities, capacity-building needs, and coordination mechanisms to advance joint action.

    Technical field visits to AASTMT’s Integrated Simulation Complex, Planetarium, Maritime Safety Institute, and College of Maritime Transport and Technology simulators showcased cutting-edge technologies that strengthen preparedness, response, and training capacities.

    Towards a Safer Marine Environment

    • The Arab Programme for Reducing Marine Disasters (2025–2030) aims to:
    • Establish a joint operational framework for preparedness, response, and recovery.
    • Enhance early warning systems and preventive measures in line with international standards.
    • Strengthen emergency response capacities at national and regional levels.
    • Promote the protection of marine environments and biodiversity.
    • Facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building among Arab states.
    • Advance regional and international cooperation to build marine disaster resilience.

    Next Steps

    The meeting concluded with the adoption of a set of recommendations and an implementation roadmap to guide the programme’s roll-out in the coming years. The League of Arab States, together with AASTMT, UNDRR, and partner organizations, will continue supporting Arab countries to build the technical, scientific, and institutional capacities needed to reduce marine disaster risks and safeguard marine resources as critical lifelines for sustainable development and resilience in the region.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Major boost to cut agricultural pollution

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Major boost to cut agricultural pollution

    Funding for Environment Agency farm inspections is doubling as part of a wider drive to help farmers slash agricultural pollution.

    Farmers are to receive more advice and support to help them meet high environmental standards with Environment Agency (EA) farm inspections increasing by around 50%.

    The boost in funding will help the EA offer more guidance to farmers, strengthen links with supply chains and farm networks, make better use of technology like remote sensing, and take stronger action against serious or ongoing pollution.

    It will see the expected number of inspections reach a record 6,000 a year by 2029, supported by more investment in advice-led regulation.

    The EA’s approach sees officers visiting farms to check compliance with environmental law. If rules are broken, farmers are told what to fix and given a deadline in writing as part of the enforcement process. This helps more farms follow the rules that protect rivers, air, and wildlife, while also supporting sustainable food production.

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:

    Farmers are key partners in protecting our rivers, lakes, and seas – and through our Plan for Change we’re backing them to do just that.

    By doubling funding for inspections, we’re ensuring that farmers receive better advice to help them reduce pollution and clean up our water ways for good

    This builds on EA’s current work with farmers that is having a real impact. In 2024/25, 6,242 actions were completed, such as improving fertiliser use, slurry storage, and soil testing. These changes help the environment and save farmers money. The 4,545 farm inspections last year are expected to bring even more benefits.

    Inspections are prioritised at farms that present the highest risk to water quality – particularly in areas where rivers or groundwater have already been affected by agricultural activity, or where large volumes of slurry and waste are handled, such as dairy farms in protected catchments.

    Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy said:

    Our role is to protect people and the environment which is why we are tackling all sources of water pollution, whether it’s from agriculture, the water industry or road-runoff.

    Many farmers share our desire for cleaner waterways and are already taking significant steps to reduce pollution and improve their environmental standards, and this increased support will help even more to do the same.

    Our approach means farmers receive clear advice and practical steps, but where necessary we can and will take enforcement action.

    The announcement comes after a meeting on 18 June 2025, led by Farming Minister Zeichner and Water Minister Emma Hardy. They met with various groups to start a new programme aimed at making farming rules clearer and better to help reduce and prevent pollution from farms.

    This builds on our record £11.8 billion investment in sustainable farming—the largest in history—alongside action to protect pollinators, including banning bee-harming pesticides and publishing the first Pesticides National Action Plan in a decade.

    This is all part of the Government’s Plan for Change, backing farmers and driving nature recovery across the countryside.

    Updates to this page

    Published 30 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CHP investigates suspected food poisoning case related to calcium oxalate raphide

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 30) investigating a case of suspected food poisoning caused by eating wild taro and reminded the public not to consume self-picked wild plants in order to avoid poisoning by accidental consumption of vegetables containing calcium oxalate raphide.

         The case involves an 81-year-old woman who developed swollen lips and a sore throat shortly after consuming wild taro at home today. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Pok Oi Hospital and was admitted for treatment. She is now in stable condition. The clinical diagnosis was suspected calcium oxalate raphide poisoning.

         Preliminary investigations revealed that the patient had cooked and consumed wild taro that she had picked from a flower bed on a footbridge near Long Ping Estate in Yuen Long. The CHP’s investigation is ongoing.

         Taro is a popular ingredient used in dishes and desserts. However, some plants look like taro (e.g. giant alocasia) but contain toxins, including calcium oxalate raphide. Accidental comsumption of plants containing calcium oxalate raphide can cause stinging and irritation of the skin and mucous membranes, such as numbness and a burning sensation of the tongue, mouth and lips, and swelling of the tongue and lips. Consumption of vegetables accidentally mixed with calcium oxalate raphide-containing plants may also cause food poisoning.

         Members of the public should take heed of the following when consuming vegetables:
     

    • Do not pick and consume wild plants;
    • Purchase vegetables from reliable suppliers; and
    • Remove any plants mixed with edible vegetables for consumption and wash them thoroughly before cooking.

    ​​The public may visit the pages on Food Poisoning Related to the Giant Alocasia and Calcium Oxalate Food Poisoning of the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for more information and health advice.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitcoin News: Topnotch Crypto Breaks Down Barriers with First-of-its-Kind Free Cloud Mining Platform 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, NY, June 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a landmark move for digital inclusion, Topnotch Crypto today launched a revolutionary, zero-cost cloud mining platform. This initiative is engineered to fundamentally reshape public interaction with blockchain technology by making participation in the Bitcoin network universally accessible. By removing the significant financial and technical barriers that have historically ringfenced the world of cryptocurrency, Topnotch Crypto is opening the doors to a new era of technological empowerment.

    The launch directly addresses a long-standing challenge within the digital asset space. For years, direct participation in securing the Bitcoin network has been an exclusive endeavor, demanding substantial investments in specialized, high-cost hardware, coupled with the deep technical expertise required to configure and maintain it. Furthermore, the immense energy consumption associated with traditional mining has raised valid environmental concerns, creating an additional barrier for the eco-conscious user. Topnotch Crypto’s platform systematically dismantles these obstacles, creating a level playing field for all.

    At the core of this initiative is a firm belief in democratizing technology. The company’s mission is to bridge the digital divide, providing the tools and access necessary for anyone, regardless of their financial status or technical background, to explore and engage with the foundational layer of blockchain. This is more than a product launch; it is the enactment of a vision for a more inclusive and decentralized digital ecosystem.

    “We believe everyone deserves the right to participate in the future of digital technology, not just as users of applications, but as active participants in the underlying infrastructure. Our goal is to empower people and ignite curiosity,” said a spokesperson for Topnotch Crypto. “We are turning a complex process into a simple, accessible experience. After registration, you can enjoy the platform’s computing power allocation and mining rights. This isn’t about speculation; it’s about education, experience, and providing a tangible connection to the technology that will shape our future. We are giving people the tools to see firsthand how this global network operates, powered entirely by sustainable energy.”

    The platform is built on several key pillars designed for simplicity, security, and sustainability:

    • Zero-Cost Access: Upon completing a simple registration, every user is granted an allocation of computing power as bonus. This provides a foundational share of the platform’s resources, allowing for direct participation in network activities without any financial commitment.
    • Instant Activation: The journey from signing up to active participation takes only minutes. The platform is designed for a seamless, intuitive onboarding experience, eliminating the complex setup and configuration processes typical of traditional mining operations.
    • Unwavering Commitment to Sustainability: All of Topnotch Crypto’s data centers are powered by 100% renewable energy sources, including geothermal and solar power. This green-first approach not only ensures low-cost, efficient operations but also allows users to participate in the network with a clean environmental conscience.
    • A Secure and Transparent Environment: User experience is protected by institutional-grade security protocols. The platform features a clean, transparent dashboard where users can monitor their allocated computing power and review its activity, offering a clear window into the process.

    Getting started is a straightforward process:

    1. Visit the official Topnotch Crypto website.
    2. Create your free account through the secure registration portal.
    3. Your access and computing power allocation are activated automatically.

    This launch represents a pivotal moment for the industry. By creating a sustainable, secure, and entirely free gateway to the Bitcoin network, Topnotch Crypto is not just launching a platform—it is fostering a more educated, diverse, and empowered global community.

    Visit Topnotch Crypto online today to secure your place in the future of digital technology.

    About Topnotch Crypto

    Topnotch Crypto is a global leader in providing secure, efficient, and sustainable cryptocurrency infrastructure solutions. By integrating cutting-edge technology with a 100% renewable energy framework, Topnotch Crypto offers a transparent and powerful platform for users to experience and participate in blockchain networks.

    More information:

    Official website: https://topnotchcrypto.com

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not intended as and does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. Cryptocurrency investment, including mining, carries a high level of risk, and you could lose your entire investment. You should conduct your own due diligence and consult with a qualified professional financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Green Enacts Legislation to Uphold Agricultural and Biosecurity Resilience and Support Local Innovation

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Governor Green Enacts Legislation to Uphold Agricultural and Biosecurity Resilience and Support Local Innovation

    Posted on Jun 27, 2025 in Main

    From the Office of the Governor

    June 27, 2025

    HONOLULU – Governor Josh Green, M.D., signed five bills into law today, affirming the commitment to strengthening Hawai‘i’s agricultural and economic sectors for the benefit of the ‘āina, its people, and local businesses.

    “The health and resiliency of our agricultural lands and producers are not just vital — they are the very foundation of Hawai‘i’s well-being and future,” said Governor Green. “It is our kuleana to protect the ‘āina that nourishes our people and to uplift those who represent Hawai‘i through their unwavering dedication and hard work. The bills signed today mark our state’s continual support of those responsibilities.”

    “These are all about striving toward food, self-reliance and food security. Our state legislature is taking a firm stance to support agriculture and our local industries and food production,” said Senator Tim Richards, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment.

    SB 1249: RELATING TO AGRICULTURE
    Agricultural crimes undermine the stability of our state’s agricultural industry and infringe upon the rights of landowners. Senate Bill 1249 (Act 235) seeks to protect farmers and ranchers by establishing a temporary Agricultural Enforcement Pilot Program within the Department of Law Enforcement operating on the islands of O‘ahu and Hawai‘i. This pilot program will allow for swift and effective responses to agricultural crimes and provide critical data to the state to better understand this nuanced crisis. The data gathered and the report provided will aid in the possible expansion of the program in the future.

    To further deter agricultural crimes, SB 1249 clarifies existing laws, creates new offenses, and strengthens penalties against violators. These enhancements include administrative enforcements and stricter consequences for habitual agricultural offenders, as well as increased penalty classes and fines. Additional deterrents address cattle branding violations, the illegal transportation of livestock, unauthorized hunting, theft, and trespassing on private property.

    By establishing clear enforcement measures, this bill emphasizes Hawai‘i’s commitment to protecting and respecting agricultural lands and communities.

    “SB 1249 is about protecting our farmers and ranchers while honoring the memory of Duke Pia,” said Senator Richards (Senate District 4 – North Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, North Kona). “Duke was a young rancher who was tragically shot and killed while confronting trespassers on his land. This law strengthens enforcement, increases penalties, and gives us the tools to fight rural crime. It’s about justice, safety, and preserving the future of agriculture in Hawai‘i.”

    HB 427: RELATING TO BIOSECURITY
    House Bill 427 (Act 236) institutes the renaming of the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Board of Agriculture as the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. The renaming, in addition to the amendments to the duties within the department, better strengthens the state’s resilience against biosecurity threats by reinforcing the need to protect against invasive species, pests, and diseases.

    The measure establishes a position of Deputy Chairperson for biosecurity to oversee all biosecurity initiatives within the department who will serve under the chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Under HB 427, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in conjunction with the Governor’s approval, may declare a biosecurity emergency in response to the outbreak of a pest or resistant organism that poses an economic or environmental threat.

    Hawai‘i’s unique geographical characteristics underscore the importance of closely monitoring biosecurity risks entering the state. While isolation presents challenges, it also affords a strategic advantage by limiting the modes of transportation through which goods are received. To mitigate the spread of infections, pests, and outbreaks of harmful organisms, HB 427 establishes regulations for the creation of the state’s first transitional facilities. The transitional facilities require items entering through piers, airports, or other ports to be assessed and certified by a trained Biosecurity Compliance Auditor.

    Due to the fragility of our ecosystem, HB 427 increases penalties for illegally transporting plants, animals, and microorganisms to safeguard our state’s economy, native landscape, and people.

    To keep the public informed, a pest dashboard is to be established with regularly updated treatment data with which departments, agencies, political subdivisions, or contracted parties that fail to provide information to the dashboard will be subject to the withholding of funds or denial of fund expenditures.

    Lastly, HB 427 transfers the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

    The administration remains dedicated to providing strong, ongoing support for biosecurity initiatives. The state budget reflects this commitment by allocating the highest level of funding ever for biosecurity — $26.6 million appropriated for the fiscal biennium to support positions and related expenses.

    “With the increasing frequency of natural disasters and growing biosecurity threats, safeguarding our resources and environment is a top priority for my administration,” said Governor Green. “Prevention and forethought will fortify our state, and by signing HB 427, we are keeping top of mind the ways in which we can stay in the driver’s seat — actively leading the effort to protect our agriculture and our islands.”

    HB 774: RELATING TO VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
    To further expand and support to Hawai‘i’s local businesses, House Bill 774 (Act 237) establishes a food and product innovation network within the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The network will provide small businesses and entrepreneurs with access to facilities, equipment, expertise, and certification resources.

    The development of this network will facilitate the responsible use of labels such as “Hawai‘i made,” “Made in Hawai‘i,” “Produced in Hawai‘i” and “Processed in Hawai‘i,” aiding businesses scale and promote their products locally and internationally.

    HB 774 strengthens the state’s economic resiliency in sectors such as agriculture, sustainability, and culinary innovation, and promotes growth with the spirit of aloha at its core.

    “HB 774 is transformative for Hawaiʻi’s farmers and food entrepreneurs — empowering them to innovate, grow and proudly share their unique products with the world,” said Representative Kirstin Kahaloa, introducer of the legislation. “By establishing a Food and Product Innovation Network, we not only support local agriculture but also boost food security, fuel our state’s economic growth, and build a more resilient and sustainable Hawaiʻi. This initiative supports a stronger, thriving future for our communities and ʻāina,” she said.

    The complete list of bills signed includes the following. Click the link to see full details of the bill enacted into law.

    HB 534 (ACT 238) RELATING TO LABELING REQUIREMENTS
    HB 496 (ACT 242) RELATING TO MĀMAKI TEA

    Video of the bill signing can be seen here.
    Photos of the bill signing ceremony, courtesy Office of the Governor, will be uploaded here.
    The slide deck presented at today’s bill signing can be found here.

     # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News Release – DOH Confirms Ninth Travel-Related Dengue Virus Case of 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    News Release – DOH Confirms Ninth Travel-Related Dengue Virus Case of 2025

    Posted on Jun 27, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.

    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

    DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

    KA ʻOIHANA OLAKINO

     

    1. KENNETH FINK

    DIRECTOR

    KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

     

    DOH REPORTS NINTH TRAVEL-RELATED DENGUE VIRUS CASE OF 2025

    25-073

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    June 27, 2025

    HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed a new travel-related case of dengue virus on Oʻahu, bringing the total number of cases reported in Hawai‘i in 2025 to nine (eight on Oʻahu, one on Maui). The individual was likely exposed to the virus while traveling in a region where dengue is common.

    DOH teams have been deployed to conduct inspections and implement mosquito control measures in the affected area. The public is encouraged to follow best practices to help prevent local transmission, as outlined below.

    Dengue virus is spread when a mosquito bites an infected person and then bites another individual. Although Hawai‘i has mosquitoes capable of transmitting dengue, the disease is not currently endemic in the state. All confirmed cases in 2025 have been travel-related. Dengue is a year-round risk in the tropical and subtropical areas of Central and South America, Asia (including the Republic of the Philippines), the Middle East, Africa and several Pacific Islands, such as U.S. territories like American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau. Many popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, are also affected.

    Anyone who plans to travel to or has recently visited an area with dengue risk is vulnerable to infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises travelers to take standard precautions when visiting such areas. This includes using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors, and sleeping in air-conditioned rooms, rooms with window screens or under insecticide-treated bed nets.

    Some countries are reporting increased dengue cases, including Fiji, French Polynesia, Tonga, the Republic of the Philippines, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. Travelers should review up-to-date country-specific travel information for guidance on dengue riskand prevention measures at least four to six weeks before traveling.

    Travelers returning from dengue-endemic areas should take precautions to prevent mosquito bites for three weeks. If dengue symptoms develop within two weeks of return, travelers should seek medical evaluation.

    Symptoms of dengue can range from mild to severe and include fever, nausea, vomiting, rash and body aches. Symptoms typically last two to seven days, and while severe illness can occur, most people recover within a week. Individuals who have recently traveled and are experiencing these symptoms should contact their healthcare provider. Healthcare providers and individuals who suspect a dengue infection are advised to call the Disease Reporting Line at 808-586-4586.

    In areas with suspected or confirmed dengue cases, DOH personnel from the Vector Control Branch (VCB) are conducting inspections and mosquito-reduction activities. Reducing mosquito populations lowers the risk of dengue transmission to others. In areas without reported dengue cases, eliminating mosquito breeding sites around the home is a helpful preventive measure.

    Mosquitoes need only small amounts of standing water to breed. Common breeding sites include buckets, water-catching plants (such as bromeliads), small containers, planters, rain barrels and even cups left outside. Pouring out containers of standing water can significantly reduce the potential for mosquito breeding.

    For more information, visit the Disease Outbreak Control Division (DOCD) and Vector Control Branch (VCB) websites.

    # # #

    Media contact:

    Adam LeFebvre

    Information Specialist

    Hawaiʻi State Department of Health

    Mobile: 808-436-6195

    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor – Statement – Governor Green Statement on BLNR Decision

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    Office of the Governor – Statement – Governor Green Statement on BLNR Decision

    Posted on Jun 27, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI
    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
     
    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR
    KE KIAʻĀINA
     

    STATEMENT FROM GOVERNOR GREEN ON BLNR DECISION

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    June 27, 2025

    The following is attributable to Governor Josh Green, M.D.:

    “The Board’s vote on the Army’s Final Environmental Impact Statement underscores the need for continued dialogue and shared responsibility when it comes to the future of state lands.

    “The Army’s proposal to retain a smaller footprint on Oʻahu reflects a commitment to align important military training with community and environmental considerations. We acknowledge and appreciate the Army’s dedicated engagement throughout this process. As global threats grow more complex and regional stability becomes more fragile, Hawai‘i’s unique position at the heart of the Indo-Pacific makes it vital to the defense of both our islands and the nation — highlighting the importance of maintaining military readiness that is both effective and accountable to the communities it serves.

    “Ensuring our Armed Forces remain prepared and resilient is a priority, and as we move forward, my administration is committed to working with all parties to ensure that next steps are guided by transparency, a shared sense of purpose, kuleana to future generations and long-term benefit to the people of Hawai‘i.”

     # # #

    Media Contacts:  
    Erika Engle
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
    Office: 808-586-0120
    Email: [email protected]

    Makana McClellan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
    Cell: 808-265-0083
    Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release – LAND BOARD VOTES NOT TO ACCEPT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR ARMY LEASES ON OʻAHU, June 27, 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release – LAND BOARD VOTES NOT TO ACCEPT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR ARMY LEASES ON OʻAHU, June 27, 2025

    Posted on Jun 27, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

         JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

    DAWN N.S. CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

     

     

    LAND BOARD VOTES NOT TO ACCEPT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR ARMY LEASES ON OʻAHU

     

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    June 27, 2025

      

    HONOLULU — Citing significant gaps in environmental analysis as presented by DLNR staff, the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) voted not to accept the U.S. Army’s final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the retention of state lands on Oʻahu. The BLNR’s decision was after hours of impassioned public testimony, primarily against the Army’s FEIS.

    Three Oʻahu sites were under consideration for this FEIS: state-leased portions of the Kahuku Training Area (KTA), the Kawailoa-Poamoho Training Area (Poamoho) and the Mākua Military Reservation (MMR).

    The decision follows last month’s BLNR vote to not accept the Army’s FEIS for Pōhakuloa Training Area on Hawaiʻi Island. “The action before the BLNR was whether to accept or non-acceptance of the FEIS based upon specific legal criteria set forth in Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 343 and relevant administrative rules. Applying the legal criteria to the FEIS, reviewing hundreds of written and oral testimonies, as well as comments from DLNR’s own divisions, the BLNR members voted to not accept the FEIS,” said DLNR Chair Dawn Chang. “The FEIS did not meet that bar.”

    DLNRʻs Land Division (LD) consulted with multiple other divisions within the department, including the Commission on Water Resources Management (CWRM), the Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR), the Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL) and the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) to review the FEIS. LD staff provided the BLNR a recommendation of non-acceptance based on a clear lack of baseline data to enable the DLNR and the BLNR to determine and understand the extent of any impacts to natural, historical and cultural resources. In the board submittal, the LD indicated this was a consensus among all the Divisions.

    Areas where staff felt the FEIS fell short included adequately accounting for known and likely archaeological sites, lack of recent data for biological resources and absence of stream aquatic surveys. Each of these concerns was raised in the draft EIS phase, but went unaddressed in the final report. 

    An FEIS is intended to support informed decision-making and does not, by itself, authorize any land use. A separate review and determination would be required should such a request be brought before the BLNR in the future.

    The Army’s current lease for more than 6,000 acres of state-owned land at the three sites on Oʻahu is set to expire in 2029.

     

    # # # 

     

    RESOURCES 

    (All images/video courtesy: DLNR) 

     

    Video and Photgraphs – Board of Land and Natural Resources Meeting and Chair Dawn Chang News Conference (June 27, 2025): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/hbpd2qs28jjdfx72t4o52/ANnFfqfJLCgr1KbqsdJQu78?rlkey=iuj5ju0b77u3az4bnw7aq2jab&st=rzvn426n&dl=0

     

    (Note: video will be uploaded to folder as available)

     

     

    Media Contacts: 

    Patti Jette                                                                                          Dan Dennison

    Communications Specialist                                                           Communications Director

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources                            Hawai‘i DLNR

    808-587-0396                                                                                   808-587-0396

    [email protected]                                                            [email protected]

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor – News Release – Gov. Green Enacts Legislation to Uphold Agricultural and Biosecurity Resilience and Support Local Innovation

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    HONOLULU – Governor Josh Green, M.D., signed five bills into law today, affirming the commitment to strengthening Hawai‘i’s agricultural and economic sectors for the benefit of the ‘āina, its people, and local businesses.

    “The health and resiliency of our agricultural lands and producers are not just vital — they are the very foundation of Hawai‘i’s well-being and future,” said Governor Green. “It is our kuleana to protect the ‘āina that nourishes our people and to uplift those who represent Hawai‘i through their unwavering dedication and hard work. The bills signed today mark our state’s continual support of those responsibilities.”

    “These are all about striving toward food, self-reliance and food security. Our state legislature is taking a firm stance to support agriculture and our local industries and food production,” said Senator Tim Richards, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment.

    SB 1249: RELATING TO AGRICULTURE
    Agricultural crimes undermine the stability of our state’s agricultural industry and infringe upon the rights of landowners. Senate Bill 1249 (Act 235) seeks to protect farmers and ranchers by establishing a temporary Agricultural Enforcement Pilot Program within the Department of Law Enforcement operating on the islands of O‘ahu and Hawai‘i. This pilot program will allow for swift and effective responses to agricultural crimes and provide critical data to the state to better understand this nuanced crisis. The data gathered and the report provided will aid in the possible expansion of the program in the future.

    To further deter agricultural crimes, SB 1249 clarifies existing laws, creates new offenses, and strengthens penalties against violators. These enhancements include administrative enforcements and stricter consequences for habitual agricultural offenders, as well as increased penalty classes and fines. Additional deterrents address cattle branding violations, the illegal transportation of livestock, unauthorized hunting, theft, and trespassing on private property.

    By establishing clear enforcement measures, this bill emphasizes Hawai‘i’s commitment to protecting and respecting agricultural lands and communities.

    “SB 1249 is about protecting our farmers and ranchers while honoring the memory of Duke Pia,” said Senator Richards (Senate District 4 – North Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, North Kona). “Duke was a young rancher who was tragically shot and killed while confronting trespassers on his land. This law strengthens enforcement, increases penalties, and gives us the tools to fight rural crime. It’s about justice, safety, and preserving the future of agriculture in Hawai‘i.”

    HB 427: RELATING TO BIOSECURITY
    House Bill 427 (Act 236) institutes the renaming of the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity and the Board of Agriculture as the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. The renaming, in addition to the amendments to the duties within the department, better strengthens the state’s resilience against biosecurity threats by reinforcing the need to protect against invasive species, pests, and diseases.

    The measure establishes a position of Deputy Chairperson for biosecurity to oversee all biosecurity initiatives within the department who will serve under the chairperson of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. Under HB 427, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, in conjunction with the Governor’s approval, may declare a biosecurity emergency in response to the outbreak of a pest or resistant organism that poses an economic or environmental threat.

    Hawai‘i’s unique geographical characteristics underscore the importance of closely monitoring biosecurity risks entering the state. While isolation presents challenges, it also affords a strategic advantage by limiting the modes of transportation through which goods are received. To mitigate the spread of infections, pests, and outbreaks of harmful organisms, HB 427 establishes regulations for the creation of the state’s first transitional facilities. The transitional facilities require items entering through piers, airports, or other ports to be assessed and certified by a trained Biosecurity Compliance Auditor.

    Due to the fragility of our ecosystem, HB 427 increases penalties for illegally transporting plants, animals, and microorganisms to safeguard our state’s economy, native landscape, and people.

    To keep the public informed, a pest dashboard is to be established with regularly updated treatment data with which departments, agencies, political subdivisions, or contracted parties that fail to provide information to the dashboard will be subject to the withholding of funds or denial of fund expenditures.

    Lastly, HB 427 transfers the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity.

    The administration remains dedicated to providing strong, ongoing support for biosecurity initiatives. The state budget reflects this commitment by allocating the highest level of funding ever for biosecurity — $26.6 million appropriated for the fiscal biennium to support positions and related expenses.

    “With the increasing frequency of natural disasters and growing biosecurity threats, safeguarding our resources and environment is a top priority for my administration,” said Governor Green. “Prevention and forethought will fortify our state, and by signing HB 427, we are keeping top of mind the ways in which we can stay in the driver’s seat — actively leading the effort to protect our agriculture and our islands.”

    HB 774: RELATING TO VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
    To further expand and support to Hawai‘i’s local businesses, House Bill 774 (Act 237) establishes a food and product innovation network within the Agribusiness Development Corporation. The network will provide small businesses and entrepreneurs with access to facilities, equipment, expertise, and certification resources.

    The development of this network will facilitate the responsible use of labels such as “Hawai‘i made,” “Made in Hawai‘i,” “Produced in Hawai‘i” and “Processed in Hawai‘i,” aiding businesses scale and promote their products locally and internationally.

    HB 774 strengthens the state’s economic resiliency in sectors such as agriculture, sustainability, and culinary innovation, and promotes growth with the spirit of aloha at its core.

    “HB 774 is transformative for Hawaiʻi’s farmers and food entrepreneurs — empowering them to innovate, grow and proudly share their unique products with the world,” said Representative Kirstin Kahaloa, introducer of the legislation. “By establishing a Food and Product Innovation Network, we not only support local agriculture but also boost food security, fuel our state’s economic growth, and build a more resilient and sustainable Hawaiʻi. This initiative supports a stronger, thriving future for our communities and ʻāina,” she said.

    The complete list of bills signed includes the following. Click the link to see full details of the bill enacted into law.

    HB 534 (ACT 238) RELATING TO LABELING REQUIREMENTS
    HB 496 (ACT 242) RELATING TO MĀMAKI TEA

    Video of the bill signing can be seen here.
    Photos of the bill signing ceremony, courtesy Office of the Governor, will be uploaded here.
    The slide deck presented at today’s bill signing can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 6.27.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Jun 27, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
     
    Neal Payton, of Santa Monica, has been appointed to the State Historical Resources Commission. Payton has been Senior Principal at Torti Gallas + Partners since 1996. He was Associate Professor of Architecture at The Catholic University of America from 1987 to 1996. He is a member of American Institute of Architects and the Congress for New Urbanism. He earned a Master of Architecture degree from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Carnegie Mellon University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Payton is a Democrat.

    Yong Ping Chen, of Camarillo, has been reappointed to the California Acupuncture Board, where she has served since 2020. Chen has been a Professor at Alhambra Medical University since 2020 and an Acupuncturist at Chen’s Chinese Medicine Clinic since 2002. She was Director of the Experimental Acupuncture Teaching Department and Laboratory at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from 2000 to 2002. Chen was Associate Professor and Deputy Chief Physician at Southern Medical University from 1989 to 1997. She was a Physician and Proctologist at Linhai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from 1984 to 1986. Chen is a Member of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association. She earned a Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine from Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, a Master of Science degree in Classical Chinese Medicine from Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine from Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Chen is a Democrat.

    Hyun “Francisco” Kim, of Fremont, has been reappointed to the California Acupuncture Board, where he has served since 2018. Kim has been an Acupuncture Practitioner at Harmony Holistic Wellness Center since 2019, Clinic Director and Acupuncturist at Healtones Medical Clinic since 2014, and Adjunct Clinical Instructor at Touro University California, College of Osteopathic Medicine since 2014. He was Partner at Eastridge Medical Group from 2012 to 2013. Kim was Owner of St. Francis Clinic from 2004 to 2012. Kim is a Member of the Association of Korean Asian Medicine and Acupuncture. He earned a Master of Science degree in Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture from South Baylo University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Kim is registered without party preference.

    Gregory Leung, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to the California Acupuncture Board, where he has served since 2024. Leung held several roles at the California Department of Public Health from 2001 to 2023, including Health Facilities Evaluator Nurse, Health Facilities Evaluator Supervisor, and Health Facilities Evaluator Nurse. He was a Medical Nurse at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center from 2000 to 2001. Leung was a Medical Charge Nurse at Willow Tree Convalescent Hospital from 2000 to 2001. He was a Home Visit Nurse at Corinthian Medical Services from 1990 to 2001. Leung was an Assistant to the Nurse Director at Parc Pacific Convalescent Hospital from 1998 to 1999. He was a Nurse Assistant at Chinese Hospital from 1997 to 1998. Leung was a Nurse Assistant at Jesuit Community Infirmary from 1993 to 1996. He is a member of the Chinese American Democratic Club and the Lions Club. Leung earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from California State University, San Francisco and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of San Francisco. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Leung is a Democrat.

    Justin Huft, of Colton, has been reappointed to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences where he has served since 2021. Huft has been a Marriage and Family Therapist in Private Practice since 2023, an Adjunct Lecturer for the Psychology and Sociology Departments at El Camino Community College since 2018, and an Adjunct Lecturer in the Psychology Department at California State University, Fullerton since 2016. He was a Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Program Director at Creative Care Calabasas from 2016 to 2023. He is a Member of the California Marriage and Family Therapy Association, American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, American Sociological Association and Pacific Sociological Association. Huft earned a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University, a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from Arizona State University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Social Behavior and Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Huft is a member of the Peace and Freedom Party.

    Kelly X. Ranasinghe, of El Centro, has been reappointed to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, where he has served since 2020. Ranasinghe has served as a Deputy County Counsel in the Imperial County Counsel’s Office since 2020. He was Managing Partner at Henderson and Ranasinghe LLP from 2017 to 2020. Ranasinghe was Senior Program Attorney at the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges from 2014 to 2017. Ranasinghe served as a Deputy Public Defender at the Imperial County Public Defender’s Office from 2011 to 2014. He was a Deputy Public Defender at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office from 2008 to 2010. He is a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Association of Counsel for Children. Ranasinghe earned a Juris Doctor degree in Criminal Justice from the California Western School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ranasinghe is a Democrat.

    Annette Walker, of Corona, has been reappointed to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, where she has served since 2021. Walker has been the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ReinventU! since 2024. She was a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant at DEI Consulting from 2021 to 2024. Walker was Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Life Chiropractic College West from 2020 to 2021. She was Director of Graduate Admissions at California State University, East Bay from 2005 to 2019. Walker was a Personnel Commissioner at Hayward Unified School District from 2010 to 2011. She was a General Counselor and Instructor at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District from 1998 to 2004. Walker was a Bilingual Elementary School Teacher at Ravenswood City School District from 1993 to 1997. She earned a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership from University of San Francisco, a Master of Science degree in Education and Psychological studies from California State University, East Bay, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from California State University, Fullerton. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Walker is a Democrat. 

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    News What you need to know: Continuing Governor Newsom’s build more, faster agenda, the state is awarding nearly $5 billion today to infrastructure projects that improve roads, expand transportation, bus and rail options while improving public health and safety….

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  • Govt drafts emission targets for over 460 industries under carbon market plan

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Ministry of Environment has issued a draft notification proposing legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets for over 460 industrial units as part of India’s first compliance-based carbon market.

    The move, aimed at curbing industrial emissions and accelerating decarbonisation, will apply to sectors such as aluminium, iron and steel, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, and textiles.

    Titled the Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity Target Rules, 2025, the draft, dated June 23, forms part of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023.

    The scheme requires designated industries – referred to as “obligated entities” – to reduce their GHG emissions per unit of output over time, or compensate by purchasing carbon credit certificates from the Indian Carbon Market.

    According to the draft, “The obligated entity shall achieve the Greenhouse Gases Emissions Intensity (GEI) targets in the respective compliance year… or meet its GEI target by purchasing carbon credit certificates from the Indian carbon market.”

    If implemented, the targets will become legally enforceable from the date of final notification.

    As per the draft, failure to comply will attract financial penalties and legal consequences under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

    The targets will be assigned for two compliance years – 2025-26 and 2026-27 – based on baseline emission intensity data from 2023-24.

    The draft includes a list of 264 industrial units along with their baseline emission levels and reduction targets for the compliance years 2025-26 and 2026-27.

    The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) will determine these targets using sectoral benchmarks and past performance. Greenhouse gas emission intensity (GEI) is defined as tonnes of CO2 equivalent emitted per unit of output or product.

    For example, Hindalco Industries’ Taloja aluminium plant in Maharashtra, which had a baseline GEI of 1.3386 tCO2 per tonne in 2023-24, must reduce that figure to 1.2563 by 2026-27. In the steel sector, Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India’s Hazira facility – India’s largest obligated entity by production volume – must cut its emission intensity from 2.2701 to 2.1696 tCO2 per tonne during the same period.

    The rules also cover the petroleum refining sector. BPCL’s Bina Refinery in Madhya Pradesh, with a crude throughput of over 51 million barrels, has been assigned a GEI reduction trajectory from 5.2312 tCO2/MBBLS in 2023-24 to 4.8553 by 2026-27. BPCL’s Kochi
    Refinery, one of the largest in the country, must bring down its GEI from 4.5745 to 4.4230 tCO2/MBBLS in the same time frame.

    Entities that emit less than their targets will receive carbon credit certificates, calculated as the difference between the GEI target and actual GEI, multiplied by the total production volume.

    Conversely, those exceeding their targets must buy the difference in credits from the Indian Carbon Market. “The number of carbon credit certificates to be issued… shall be determined as per the following formula: (GEI Target – GEI Achieved) x Unit of equivalent product produced,” the draft states.

    Unused credits can be banked for future use, allowing companies some flexibility across compliance years.

    However, if an entity fails to meet its target and does not purchase the required credits, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will impose an Environmental Compensation.

    This amount will be “equal to twice the average price at which a carbon credit certificate is traded during the trading cycle,” as per the notification. The penalty must be paid within 90 days.

    Funds collected will be used to support carbon market operations, upon recommendation of the National Steering Committee and approval of the Centre.

    The ministry has invited comments, objections, or suggestions from the public and industry stakeholders. Submissions must be made within 60 days of the draft’s publication and can be emailed to ccts.hsm-moefcc@gov.in.

    (ANI)

  • Govt drafts emission targets for over 460 industries under carbon market plan

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Ministry of Environment has issued a draft notification proposing legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets for over 460 industrial units as part of India’s first compliance-based carbon market.

    The move, aimed at curbing industrial emissions and accelerating decarbonisation, will apply to sectors such as aluminium, iron and steel, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, and textiles.

    Titled the Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity Target Rules, 2025, the draft, dated June 23, forms part of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023.

    The scheme requires designated industries – referred to as “obligated entities” – to reduce their GHG emissions per unit of output over time, or compensate by purchasing carbon credit certificates from the Indian Carbon Market.

    According to the draft, “The obligated entity shall achieve the Greenhouse Gases Emissions Intensity (GEI) targets in the respective compliance year… or meet its GEI target by purchasing carbon credit certificates from the Indian carbon market.”

    If implemented, the targets will become legally enforceable from the date of final notification.

    As per the draft, failure to comply will attract financial penalties and legal consequences under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

    The targets will be assigned for two compliance years – 2025-26 and 2026-27 – based on baseline emission intensity data from 2023-24.

    The draft includes a list of 264 industrial units along with their baseline emission levels and reduction targets for the compliance years 2025-26 and 2026-27.

    The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) will determine these targets using sectoral benchmarks and past performance. Greenhouse gas emission intensity (GEI) is defined as tonnes of CO2 equivalent emitted per unit of output or product.

    For example, Hindalco Industries’ Taloja aluminium plant in Maharashtra, which had a baseline GEI of 1.3386 tCO2 per tonne in 2023-24, must reduce that figure to 1.2563 by 2026-27. In the steel sector, Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India’s Hazira facility – India’s largest obligated entity by production volume – must cut its emission intensity from 2.2701 to 2.1696 tCO2 per tonne during the same period.

    The rules also cover the petroleum refining sector. BPCL’s Bina Refinery in Madhya Pradesh, with a crude throughput of over 51 million barrels, has been assigned a GEI reduction trajectory from 5.2312 tCO2/MBBLS in 2023-24 to 4.8553 by 2026-27. BPCL’s Kochi
    Refinery, one of the largest in the country, must bring down its GEI from 4.5745 to 4.4230 tCO2/MBBLS in the same time frame.

    Entities that emit less than their targets will receive carbon credit certificates, calculated as the difference between the GEI target and actual GEI, multiplied by the total production volume.

    Conversely, those exceeding their targets must buy the difference in credits from the Indian Carbon Market. “The number of carbon credit certificates to be issued… shall be determined as per the following formula: (GEI Target – GEI Achieved) x Unit of equivalent product produced,” the draft states.

    Unused credits can be banked for future use, allowing companies some flexibility across compliance years.

    However, if an entity fails to meet its target and does not purchase the required credits, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will impose an Environmental Compensation.

    This amount will be “equal to twice the average price at which a carbon credit certificate is traded during the trading cycle,” as per the notification. The penalty must be paid within 90 days.

    Funds collected will be used to support carbon market operations, upon recommendation of the National Steering Committee and approval of the Centre.

    The ministry has invited comments, objections, or suggestions from the public and industry stakeholders. Submissions must be made within 60 days of the draft’s publication and can be emailed to ccts.hsm-moefcc@gov.in.

    (ANI)

  • Govt drafts emission targets for over 460 industries under carbon market plan

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Ministry of Environment has issued a draft notification proposing legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets for over 460 industrial units as part of India’s first compliance-based carbon market.

    The move, aimed at curbing industrial emissions and accelerating decarbonisation, will apply to sectors such as aluminium, iron and steel, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, and textiles.

    Titled the Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity Target Rules, 2025, the draft, dated June 23, forms part of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023.

    The scheme requires designated industries – referred to as “obligated entities” – to reduce their GHG emissions per unit of output over time, or compensate by purchasing carbon credit certificates from the Indian Carbon Market.

    According to the draft, “The obligated entity shall achieve the Greenhouse Gases Emissions Intensity (GEI) targets in the respective compliance year… or meet its GEI target by purchasing carbon credit certificates from the Indian carbon market.”

    If implemented, the targets will become legally enforceable from the date of final notification.

    As per the draft, failure to comply will attract financial penalties and legal consequences under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

    The targets will be assigned for two compliance years – 2025-26 and 2026-27 – based on baseline emission intensity data from 2023-24.

    The draft includes a list of 264 industrial units along with their baseline emission levels and reduction targets for the compliance years 2025-26 and 2026-27.

    The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) will determine these targets using sectoral benchmarks and past performance. Greenhouse gas emission intensity (GEI) is defined as tonnes of CO2 equivalent emitted per unit of output or product.

    For example, Hindalco Industries’ Taloja aluminium plant in Maharashtra, which had a baseline GEI of 1.3386 tCO2 per tonne in 2023-24, must reduce that figure to 1.2563 by 2026-27. In the steel sector, Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India’s Hazira facility – India’s largest obligated entity by production volume – must cut its emission intensity from 2.2701 to 2.1696 tCO2 per tonne during the same period.

    The rules also cover the petroleum refining sector. BPCL’s Bina Refinery in Madhya Pradesh, with a crude throughput of over 51 million barrels, has been assigned a GEI reduction trajectory from 5.2312 tCO2/MBBLS in 2023-24 to 4.8553 by 2026-27. BPCL’s Kochi
    Refinery, one of the largest in the country, must bring down its GEI from 4.5745 to 4.4230 tCO2/MBBLS in the same time frame.

    Entities that emit less than their targets will receive carbon credit certificates, calculated as the difference between the GEI target and actual GEI, multiplied by the total production volume.

    Conversely, those exceeding their targets must buy the difference in credits from the Indian Carbon Market. “The number of carbon credit certificates to be issued… shall be determined as per the following formula: (GEI Target – GEI Achieved) x Unit of equivalent product produced,” the draft states.

    Unused credits can be banked for future use, allowing companies some flexibility across compliance years.

    However, if an entity fails to meet its target and does not purchase the required credits, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will impose an Environmental Compensation.

    This amount will be “equal to twice the average price at which a carbon credit certificate is traded during the trading cycle,” as per the notification. The penalty must be paid within 90 days.

    Funds collected will be used to support carbon market operations, upon recommendation of the National Steering Committee and approval of the Centre.

    The ministry has invited comments, objections, or suggestions from the public and industry stakeholders. Submissions must be made within 60 days of the draft’s publication and can be emailed to ccts.hsm-moefcc@gov.in.

    (ANI)