NewzIntel.com

Category: Environment

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By H. Christopher Frey, Glenn E. Futrell Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University

    President Donald Trump holds up an executive order promoting coal production, with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, left, and the secretaries of Interior and Energy behind him. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

    The first time Donald Trump was president, the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed a regulation known as the “science transparency” rule. The administration liked to call it the “secret science” rule.

    “Transparency” sounds positive, but this rule instead prevented the EPA from using some of the best available science to protect human health.

    For example, it required the EPA to ignore or downplay studies that established links between exposure to chemicals and health damage if those studies were based on confidential patient information that could not be released to the public. The problem: Many health studies, including those underpinning many U.S. pollution rules, rely on confidential patient information.

    A U.S. District Court struck down the rule on procedural grounds a few weeks after it was issued. But now, the idea is back.

    Trump’s so-called Restoring Gold Standard Science executive order of May 23, 2025, resurrects many features of the EPA’s vacated rule, but it applies them to all federal agencies.

    To many readers, the executive order might sound reasonable. It mentions “transparency,” “reproducibility” and “uncertainty.” However, the devil is in the details.

    What’s wrong with transparency and reproducibility?

    “Transparency” implies that scientists should adequately explain all elements of their work, including hypotheses, methods, results and conclusions in a way that helps others see how those conclusions were reached.

    “Data transparency” is an expectation that scientists should share all data used in the study so other scientists can recalculate the results. This is also known as “reproducibility.”

    Trump’s executive order focuses on reproducibility. However, if there are errors in the data or methods of the original study, being able to reproduce its results may only ensure consistency but not scientific rigor.

    More important to scientific rigor is “replicability.” Replicability means different scientists, working with different data and different methods, can arrive at consistent findings. For example, studies of human exposure to a set of pollutants at different locations, and with different populations, that consistently find relationships to health effects, such as illness and premature death, can increase confidence in the findings.

    Replicability doesn’t require releasing confidential health data, as reproducibility would. Instead, it looks for the same results broadly from other sources.

    During the first Trump administration, people in cities across the U.S. participated in marches for science, protesting the administration’s actions to cut the use of scientific evidence out of policymaking.
    Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    The science transparency rule in the first Trump administration was intended to limit the EPA’s ability to consider epidemiologic studies like those that established the health harms from exposure to secondhand smoke and to PM2.5, fine particles often from pollution.

    Many large-scale studies that assess how exposure to pollution can harm human health are based on personal data collected according to strict protocols to ensure privacy. Preventing policymakers from considering those findings means they are left to make important decisions about pollution and chemicals without crucial evidence about the health risks.

    These attempts to create barriers to using valid science echoed tactics used by the tobacco industry from the 1960s well into the 1990s to deny that tobacco use harmed human health.

    Uncertainty: A matter of balance

    Trump’s new executive order also emphasizes “uncertainty.”

    In the first Trump administration, the EPA administrator and his hand-picked science advisers, none of whom were epidemiologists, focused on “uncertainty” in epidemiological studies used to inform decisions on air quality standards.

    The EPA’s scientific integrity policy requires that policymakers “shall not knowingly misrepresent, exaggerate, or downplay areas of scientific uncertainty associated with policy decisions.”

    That might sound reasonable. However, in the final 2020 rule for the nation’s PM2.5 air quality standard, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated that “limitations in the science lead to considerable uncertainty” to justify not lowering the standard, the level considered unhealthy. PM2.5 comes largely from fossil fuel combustion in cars, power plants and factories.

    In contrast, an independent external group of scientific experts, which I was part of as an environmental engineer and former EPA adviser, reviewed the same evidence and came to a very different conclusion. We found clear scientific evidence supporting a more stringent standard for PM2.5.

    Skepticism versus denial

    The executive order also requires that science be conducted in a manner that is “skeptical of its findings and assumptions.”

    A true skeptic can be swayed to change an inference based on evidence, whereas a denialist holds a fixed view irrespective of evidence. Denialists tend to cherry-pick evidence, set impossible levels of evidence and engage in logical fallacies.

    The first Trump administration stacked the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, which advises EPA on setting health-protective air quality standards, with opponents of environmental regulation, including people connected to industries the EPA regulates. The committee then amplified uncertainties. It also shifted the burden of proof in ways inconsistent with the statutory requirement to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety.

    The current administration has been dismantling science advisory committees in various agencies again and purging key EPA committees of independent experts.

    Who decides when politics trumps science

    According to Trump, “violations” of his executive order will be determined by a “senior appointee designated by the agency head.” This means a political appointee accountable to the White House. Thus, science in each federal agency will be politicized.

    The political appointee is required to “correct scientific information.”

    Anyone can file a “request for correction” regarding a published agency report. During the first Trump administration, chemical companies or their representatives repeatedly filed requests for changes to final EPA toxicity assessments on ethylene oxide and chloroprene. The administration delayed health-protective actions, which were finally addressed during the Biden administration for both chemicals.

    The request for correction process is intended to correct errors, not to bias assessments to be more favorable to industry and to delay protective actions.

    The bottom line on Trump’s ‘gold standard’

    While the language of the executive order may seem innocuous based on a casual reading, it risks undermining unbiased science in all federal agencies, subject to political whims.

    Setting impossible bars for “transparency” can mean regulators ignore relevant and valid scientific studies. Overemphasizing uncertainties can be used to raise doubt and unduly undermine confidence in robust findings.

    A politicized process also has the potential to punish federal employees and to ignore external peer reviewers who have the temerity to advance evidence-based findings contrary to White House ideology.

    Thus, this executive order could be used to deprive the American public of accurate and unbiased information regarding chemicals in the environment. That would prevent the development of effective evidence-based policies necessary for the protection of human health, rather than advancing the best available science.

    H. Christopher Frey receives funding from the California Air Resources Board via a research grant to North Carolina State University. He was on leave from NCSU to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2021 to 2024. From 2021 to 2022, he served as Deputy Assistant Administrator of Science Policy. From 2022-20224, he served as the senate-confirmed Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development and concurrently served as the EPA Science Advisor. He was a member of the EPA Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee from 2008 to 2012, and chaired CASAC from 2012 to 2015.

    – ref. How Trump’s ‘gold standard’ politicizes federal science – https://theconversation.com/how-trumps-gold-standard-politicizes-federal-science-258277

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China stands ready to continue to work with all parties to build a clean, beautiful and sustainable world – Chinese Foreign Ministry

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) — China is willing to work with all parties to fulfill common but differentiated obligations and promote the building of a clean, beautiful and sustainable world, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Thursday.

    Lin Jian made the statement while answering a question at a regular briefing for reporters.

    June 5 marks World Environment Day. Lin Jian stressed that China has always been a strong advocate of green development. In the 20 years since the concept of “emerald waters and green mountains are priceless treasures” was put forward, China has overcome difficulties in environmental management and properly managed the relationship between development and protection, becoming one of the countries with the fastest reduction in energy intensity and the most noticeable improvement in air quality in the world, the Chinese diplomat noted.

    Noting that China has also made important contributions to global green transformation, Lin Jian recalled that China has carried out cooperation in green energy projects with more than 100 countries and regions, actively promoted the free circulation of high-quality green technologies and products, and provided more than 80 percent of the world’s photovoltaic components and 70 percent of the world’s wind power equipment.

    A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said China is committed to the policy of putting environmental priority and sustainable development, and expressed the country’s readiness to continue to shoulder the responsibility of a “power that creates conditions for progress” and work with all parties to fulfill common but differentiated responsibilities to help build a clean, beautiful and sustainable world. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Burlison Reintroduces Reliable Grid Act to Reverse Democrat-Led EPA Assault on U.S. Energy

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Burlison (R-Missouri 7th District)

    Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eric Burlison (MO-07) reintroduced the Reliable Grid Act to stop the damage caused by radical Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations pushed under Democratic administrations that have crippled America’s power grid and triggered a nationwide energy-reliability crisis.

    The bill bars the EPA Administrator from enforcing any regulation that restricts power plant operations or reduces dispatchable power capacity unless the agency can definitively prove it will not compromise the reliability or security of the grid.

    “The grid is on the brink because of years of reckless Democrat policies that shut down reliable energy in the name of climate extremism,” said Rep. Burlison. “From the Obama-era Clean Power Plan to Biden’s absurd 90% carbon-capture rule, these policies were designed to shut down affordable, reliable energy. My Reliable Grid Act puts an end to this madness and stops future radical EPA tyrants from destroying our energy infrastructure.”

    According to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2023 Long-Term Reliability Assessment, most of the United States is now at elevated or high risk of blackouts and energy shortfalls. The Reliable Grid Act requires that before the EPA can impose any new regulation on power plants, all affected regions must be rated at “normal risk” by NERC—a standard the agency cannot currently meet due to the damage already inflicted by its past policies.

    Industry Support

    Alex Epstein, president of the Center for Industrial Progress and creator of Energy Talking Points, issued the following statement in support of the Reliable Grid Act:

    “America’s grid is in a state of rapidly worsening crisis, with the Federal government and many state governments pursuing a ruinous policy of reducing the supply of reliable power plants through shutdowns and increasing demand for reliable power through EV and other electrification mandates. The crisis is being compounded by new demand from data centers and AI.

    I have said for years that the most obvious and urgent step is to pause all new grid-threatening activity by the EPA—the leading force shutting down reliable power plants—until the grid crisis is resolved.

    Thankfully, Rep. Eric Burlison has offered a bill, the Reliable Grid Act, that does exactly that. If passed, the Act would stop the premature retirement of reliable generators by the EPA Administrator until the EPA demonstrates it can reliably meet electricity demand without frequent shortages in supply and in capacity safety margins.

    I hope the new Congress and Administration takes up the Reliable Grid Act as a top priority. It is a crucial step toward undoing the near-fatal damage the outgoing administration has done to our grid and moving toward a future of abundant, affordable, and ultra-reliable American electricity.”

    Cosponsor: Rep. Brandon Gill (TX-26)  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada Provides Early Decision on Flood Diversion Project in New Brunswick

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 5, 2025 – Ottawa – Impact Assessment Agency of Canada

    The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) has completed its review of the Sussex Region Flood Diversion Project, a new permanent flood control management system in Sussex, New Brunswick, and determined that its potential adverse effects within federal jurisdiction would be limited or addressed through other means.

    The proponent, the Town of Sussex, may now move forward with obtaining any necessary authorizations and permits from federal and provincial authorities.

    To arrive at its section .16 decision under the Impact Assessment Act, IAAC engaged other jurisdictions, federal experts, stakeholders, the public, and Indigenous Peoples to review the project description and identify potential impacts to federal jurisdiction and ensure they can be appropriately mitigated. 

    After a careful review of these issues, the proponent’s response and other factors, including comments from the public, IAAC determined that the potential adverse effects within federal jurisdiction would be limited or addressed through existing federal and provincial laws and regulations. These include but are not limited to the Fisheries Act, Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994, Species at Risk Act, the New Brunswick Clean Environment Act, and the Watercourse and Wetland Alteration Permit under the New Brunswick Clean Water Act.

    As a result, a more comprehensive impact assessment is not required.

    The documents and list of factors considered can be found in IAAC’s decision with reasons.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CEQ-led Permitting Innovation Center Debuts Tech to Streamline NEPA Reviews – CE Explorer

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    class=”has-text-align-center”>The White House continues its momentum to modernize permitting technology, launching a tool to aid the finding of categorical exclusions across Federal agencies.
    Today, the White House Council on Environmental Quality unveiled the Categorical Exclusion Explorer (CE Explorer), a technology tool that will increase transparency and streamline environmental reviews and permitting processes by providing a digitized public database of each Federal agency’s existing categorical exclusions established under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The CE Explorer is the first tool developed by the Permitting Innovation Center, established in response to President Donald J. Trump’s Memorandum, Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century, and supports the implementation of the White House Permitting Technology Action Plan that was released May 30, 2025.
    The CE Explorer’s search functionality will provide states, tribal officials, project sponsors and stakeholders with seamless access to view Federal agencies’ categorical exclusions. This digitized, searchable list will enhance interagency coordination by enabling agencies to quickly identify relevant categorical exclusions established by other agencies. The tool will also support other agencies’ adoption of categorical exclusions, as encouraged by Congress in its 2023 amendments to NEPA, helping to accelerate environmental reviews and permitting processes.
    The data in the CE Explorer is available to download in a machine-readable format, allowing interested parties to leverage this technology and data source to build tools to modernize their own NEPA or permitting review processes.  
    In Case You Missed It: Trump Administration Launches Permitting Technology Action Plan

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Nick Langworthy Introduces Energy Choice Act to End Blue-State Wars on American Energy

    Source: US Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) and Senator Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral H.R. 3699, the Energy Choice Acttoprohibit states or local governments from banning an energy service’s connection, reconnection, modification, installation, or expansion based on the type or source of energy to be delivered. Congressman Langworthy, who serves as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and as a member of the Energy and Environment subcommittees, has made protecting Americans’ energy choices a top priority.

    “Governor Hochul and Democrats in Albany have waged an extremist crusade against natural gas that’s sent home energy costs through the roof, crippled our energy supply, and left New York teetering on the edge of an energy crisis—all to satisfy the radical fantasies of the far-left climate cult. New York has been ground zero for the Green New Deal, where common sense goes to die and working families get stuck with the bill,”said Congressman Langworthy.“That’s why I’ve introduced the Energy Choice Act—to slam the brakes on these reckless, ideological mandates and restore sanity to America’s energy policy. People deserve the freedom to choose energy that is affordable, reliable, and proven—not be forced into rolling blackouts to please eco-activists who don’t live in the real world. I thank Senator Justice for introducing this bill in the Senate and urge its swift action.”

     

    “I am an energy guy from an energy-rich state. I know how important freedom of energy production is – which is why I’m proud to introduce Energy Choice Act of 2025. President Trump has stated the need to unleash American energy, and this bill helps facilitate just that. We have too great an energy crisis in this country, and we don’t have the luxury of picking the winners and losers when it comes to energy production. Americans ought to have the right to choose what is best for their energy needs,” said Senator Jim Justice.

     

    The full text of the bill can be found here. Original cosponsors of this legislation include Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Mike Bost (R-IL), Robert Bresnahan Jr. (R-MI), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Mike Carey (R-OH), Jeff Crank (R-CO), Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Jake Ellzey (R-TX), Brad Finstad (R-MN), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), Clay Higgins (R-LA), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Michael Lawler (R-NY), Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Addison McDowell (R-NC), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Dan Meuser (R-PA), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Tim Moore (R-NC), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), August Pfluger (R-TX), John Rose (R-TX), Michael Rulli (R-OH), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), GT Thompson (R-PA), David Valadao (R-CA), Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Tony Wied (R-WI), Roger Williams (R-TX), Ryan Zinke (R-MT).

     

    Original cosponsors in the Senate include Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).  

     

    “Democratic-controlled states like New York are waging an all-out attack on domestic energy production, undermining Americans’ right to choose their preferred energy source. The Energy Choice Act combats these authoritarian regulations by preventing state and local governments from banning specific energy sources. To achieve true energy independence, we must ensure Americans have access to a full range of options, including natural gas,”said Congresswoman Tenney.

     

    “Montanans know the value of reliable, affordable energy, especially during winters when access to natural gas, coal, and other traditional fuels isn’t just a convenience, it’s a necessity,” said Congressman Zinke. “Heavy handed policies from places like Albany and Sacramento don’t reflect the realities of rural America, where energy diversity is vital. The Energy Choice Act is common sense legislation that defends our right to choose the energy sources that work best for our homes and businesses, and I am happy to co-sponsor it again.”

     

    “In order to achieve American energy dominance, we must utilize an all-of-the-above energy strategy that prioritizes affordability and reliability. By prohibiting states and local governments from banning a service based on the source of the energy, we can ensure that families and small businesses are not being forced to utilize more costly energy sources. I thank Rep. Langworthy for his leadership as we work to make energy more affordable and reliable for our constituents,” said Congressman Newhouse.

     

    “Energy freedom is essential to both our economy and national security,” said Congressman Mike Rulli. “Efforts by state governments to ban natural gas and other traditional energy sources not only hurt working families through higher costs but also jeopardize grid reliability – especially in regions with harsh winters like ours. I’m proud to support the Energy Choice Act and thank Congressman Langworthy for putting consumers first and ensuring that no American is forced into an energy system that doesn’t work for them or their community.”

     

    “Strengthening America’s energy independence requires an all-of-the-above energy strategy that ensures consumer demand and industry experts, not bureaucrats and extreme environmentalists, lead the expansion and delivery of energy services. Banning certain types of energy, like California and New York have tried to do, only raises prices for Americans,” said Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11). “The Energy Choice Act will safeguard the diversification of energy sources in our nation and make sure that Americans have access to reliable and affordable energy.”

     

    The Energy Choice Act has received wide support from federal organizations, including American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC), American Gas Association (AGA), American Public Gas Association (APGA), Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), Energy Marketers of America (EMA) , GPA Midstream Association, GPSA Midstream Suppliers, Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals (OESP), National Energy and Fuels Institute (NEFI), National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors – National Association (PHCC), Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), LIBRE Initiative, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA).

    This legislation has also received support from state organizations, including Alabama Propane Gas Association, Arizona Propane Gas Association, Arkansas Propane Gas Association, Colorado Propane Gas Association, Connecticut Energy Marketers Association, Florida Propane Gas Association, Illinois Propane Gas Association, Indiana Food and Fuel Association, Iowa Propane Gas Association, Propane Gas Marketers of Kansas, Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Association, Kentucky Propane Gas Association, Louisiana Propane Gas Association, Maine Energy Marketers Association, Massachusetts Energy Marketers Association, Michigan Petroleum Association, Michigan Propane Gas Association, Mid-Atlantic Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors Association, Mid-Atlantic Propane Gas Association, MidStates Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Midwest Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Mississippi Propane Gas Association, Missouri Propane Gas Association, Nebraska Propane Gas Association, Energy and Convenience Marketers of Nevada, Nevada Propane Gas Association, New Mexico Propane Gas Association, North Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Northeast Heart, Patio & Barbecue Association, Northwest Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Energy Marketers Association of New Hampshire, Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Propane Gas Association, Association of Contracting Plumbers of the City of New York Inc., New York Propane Gas Association, Empire State Energy Association (ESEA), Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York (IOGANY), New York State Association of Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors, New York State Energy Coalition (NYSEC), New York State Oil Producers Association (NYSOPA), North Carolina Petroleum and Convenience Marketers, North Dakota Propane Gas Association, Ohio Energy and Convenience Association, Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Ohio Propane Gas Association, Oklahoma Propane Gas Association, Oregon Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Pacific Propane Gas Association, Hearth Patio & Barbecue Association Pacific, Eastern Pennsylvania Energy Association, North Eastern Pennsylvania Energy Marketers Association, Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association, Pennsylvania Petroleum Association, Southeast Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, South Central Pennsylvania Energy Association, South Central Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Propane Gas Association of New England, Energy Marketers Association of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Business Leaders Alliance, Rocky Mountain Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Rocky Mountain Propane Association, South Carolina Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association, South Dakota Petroleum and Propane Marketers Association, Southeast Propane Alliance, Tennessee Propane Gas Association, Texas Propane Gas Association, Vermont Fuel Dealers Association, Virginia Petroleum & Convenience Marketers Association, Virginia Propane Gas Association, West Virginia Propane Gas Association, Western Propane Gas Association, Washington Independent Energy Distributors, Wisconsin Fuel and Retail Association, Wisconsin Propane Gas Association, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC).

    “NEFI proudly supports the Energy Choice Act, which represents a critical step toward protecting American consumers and small businesses from government overreach in the home energy market,”said Jim Collura, President & CEO of the National Energy & Fuels Institute (NEFI), which represents wholesale and retail distributors of liquid heating fuels, primarily in the Northeast.“This bipartisan legislation ensures that decisions about home heating and cooling remain where they belong – in the hands of American families, not government bureaucrats. At a time when families are recovering from record high inflation, the last thing we need are misguided state and local policies that eliminate affordable heating options. The Energy Choice Act protects market competition, preserves consumer choice, and promotes energy affordability and reliability. We urge Congress to pass this common-sense legislation without delay.”

     

    “NAHB commends Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) for championing the Energy Choice Act, legislation that prohibits state and local governments from banning or limiting access to natural gas, electricity, and other energy sources. A gas ban would exacerbate the housing affordability crisis by increasing costs on new homes and placing added stress on the nation’s electrical grid. With more than 40 million U.S. households relying on natural gas for heating, cooking, and hot water, preserving access to this affordable and reliable energy source is vital for American families,”said Buddy Hughes, Chairman, National Association of Home Builders.

     

    “On behalf of millions of AFP’s grassroots activists across the country, we applaud Rep. Nick Langworthy for introducing the Energy Choice Act to ensure energy freedom throughout the United States. Regardless of where Americans live, they shouldn’t be forced to endure energy poverty. The Energy Choice Act will provide certainty, security, and assurance for much-needed permitting reform and energy infrastructure development. Rep. Langworthy’s legislation will ensure American dominance in energy and lower costs for consumers while embracing an “all-of-the-above” approach on the federal level,” said Brent Gardner, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Americans for Prosperity.

     

    “The Energy Choice Act represents a critical step in protecting consumer access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy sources like propane,”said Stephen Kaminski, President and CEO of the National Propane Gas Association. “NPGA commends Rep. Langworthy and Sen. Justice for their leadership in introducing this legislation to defend energy diversity and empowering Americans to choose the energy solutions that best meet their needs. This bill safeguards consumers from rising energy costs driven by overreaching government mandates.”

    “The American Public Gas Association (APGA) strongly supports Representative Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act. This important legislation will safeguard American consumers’ right to choose the energy that best meets their household and budget needs. Access to affordable, reliable, and efficient natural gas is essential to the success of American families, businesses, and communities. APGA applauds the bill’s sponsors for their leadership in protecting consumer choice and promoting energy affordability,” said Dave Schryver, President & CEO, APGA.

     

    “The refusal of certain state and local governments to consider policies that provide a more sustainable transition to a less carbon-intensive future, coupled with the economic burdens placed on the American people through restrictions or bans on fossil fuel heating sources, necessitates federal preemption to ensure homeowners can continue to afford living in their homes while having robust options for maintaining home comfort. The Energy Choice Act provides that recourse and PHCC supports its immediate passage,” said Dan Callies, President, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors, National Association.

     

    “Passage of this important legislation is a no brainer. We encourage House lawmakers to pass the bill immediately to restore consumer choice and support small business energy marketers across the country,”said Rob Underwood, Energy Marketers of America President.

     

    “At a time when no New Yorker is immune to statewide affordability challenges, having the freedom to choose energy solutions that work best for their homes, businesses, and communities is critical to keeping costs manageable for everyday people. The Energy Choice Act ensures we are taking an all-of-the-above approach to meeting energy needs — opening opportunities to tap into existing solutions like biofuels that advance clean energy goals, while also fostering continued innovation to build a more secure, affordable energy future. We support this commonsense legislation, thank Congressman Langworthy for his leadership, and urge House lawmakers to pass the Energy Choice Act to deliver real energy solutions for all Americans and support the small business energy marketers who help power our communities,”said Kris DeLair, Executive Director of the Empire State Energy Association.

     

    “GPA Midstream appreciates Representative Langworthy taking action to introduce legislation to protect consumer choice. New Yorkers and all Americans deserve the right to choose the energy source, such as natural gas or propane, that is reliable and best fits their budget needs,”said Stuart Saulters, VP of Federal Affairs, GPA Midstream Association.

     

    “Americans deserve reliable, affordable energy without bureaucratic roadblocks or special interests getting in the way. This bill protects consumer choice and energy innovation by ensuring that no state or local government can block access to energy sources based on political agendas or bad politics. This bipartisan bill is a common-sense step toward securing our energy future, protecting American energy jobs, and most importantly protecting the pockets of working class Americans who should not have to pay more for energy. The LIBRE Initiative is grateful for Rep. Langworthy’s leadership on this important issue,” said Helder Toste, Government Affairs Liaison, The LIBRE Initiative

     

    “Concerned Veterans for America wholeheartedly endorses Rep. Nick Langworthy’s Energy Choice Act on behalf of the members of our country’s largest veteran-led grassroots advocacy organization.  This bill will ensure energy freedom in every state and protect hardworking citizens from high energy costs created by special interests at the state level. Veterans served so that Americans are free to benefit from our nation’s ingenuity and natural abundance, and are free to live their unique American Dreams.
    The Energy Choice Act limits states’ permitting requirements and promotes a more resilient energy infrastructure. Rep. Langworthy’s legislation will ensure continued American domestic energy availability and lower costs for consumers while embracing a free market approach to energy development across the country,” said John Vick, Executive Director, Concerned Veterans for America.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Reintroduces Legislation to Combat Obesity Epidemic

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) reintroduced the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) to combat the obesity crisis in the United States by providing regular screenings. The bill would also prevent diseases associated with obesity through expanded coverage of new health care specialists and chronic weight management medications for Medicare recipients.
    “Obesity shortens your life,”said Dr. Cassidy. “We have an opportunity to treat it through Medicare. Let’s do it.”
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Chris Coons (D-DE) in introducing the legislation.
    The following organizations have endorsed TROA this Congress: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pas, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Diabetes Association, American Gastroenterological Association, American Medical Group Association, American Psychological Association, American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, American Society for Nutrition, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, Black Woman’s Health Imperative, Boehringer-Ingelheim, ConscienHealth, Currax, Diabetes Leadership Council, Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, Eli Lilly and Company, Endocrine Society, Gerontological Society of America, Global Liver Institute, Healthcare Leadership Council, HealthyWomen, Intuitive Surgical, MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, National Consumers League, National Council on Aging, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Kidney Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Medicine Association, Ro, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, The Obesity Society, Trust for America’s Health, WW Weight Watchers International, and YMCA of the USA.
    Background
    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diseases associated with obesity such as heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer are the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. TROA would work to directly prevent these comorbidities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News Release: NREL Announces 2025 Executive Energy Leadership Cohort

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected 19 leaders to participate in its 2025 Executive Energy Leadership program (Energy Execs). The program curriculum is structured to support decision makers from government, corporate, nonprofit, and community organizations as they work to apply energy practices in their respective communities.

    NREL bridges foundational research with practical applications, ensuring that breakthroughs across all energy technologies work together to lower energy costs, drive economic growth, bolster national security, and deliver abundant energy.

    The four-month program offers executive decision makers an opportunity to learn in depth about energy technologies and analytical tools directly from NREL’s most prominent researchers, engineers, and professionals. Just as energy technology has advanced over the years, the program has continually evolved to incorporate the latest innovations and breakthroughs. The Energy Execs participants will visit NREL campuses in Boulder and Golden, Colorado, to explore the latest developments within the energy space. At the conclusion of the program, participants will showcase their learning by presenting a group energy project relevant to their organization or community.

    Since its inception in 2007, the Energy Execs program has grown to include nearly 400 participants representing 39 U.S. states, one U.S. territory, and three countries.

    For more information, visit the Energy Execs website.

    Editors please note: A complete list of the 2025 Energy Execs participants follows:

    • Alexandra Rozen, Colorado Public Utilities Commission (Colorado)
    • Anas Sadkhi, Denver International Airport (Colorado)
    • Brian Bartle, Danone North America (Colorado)
    • Bryant Komo, Hawaiian Electric Company (Hawaii)
    • Caitlin Casassa, Colorado Office of Sustainability (Colorado)
    • Carlos Aguiar-Hernandez, City of Phoenix (Arizona)
    • Dana Hoffman, City of Denver, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (Colorado)
    • Daniel Tkacik, Carnegie Mellon University Scott Institute for Energy Innovation (Pennsylvania)
    • Derrick Cheng, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (California)
    • Dominic McGraw, City of Philadelphia, Office of Sustainability (Pennsylvania)
    • Elizabeth Lehman, City of Cleveland, Department of Port Control (Ohio)
    • Jo Anne Wessinger Hill, Public Service Commission of South Carolina (South Carolina)
    • John Parks, Colorado Energy Office (Colorado)
    • Monique Lovato, Office of U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (Colorado)
    • Peter “Jake” Leech, Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (Florida)
    • Raj Basi, POWDR (Utah)
    • Samantha Voncannon, energy industry professional (Colorado)
    • Stephanie Nowers, Alaska Center for Appropriate Technology / Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Alaska)
    • Tyler Hamman, Energy and Environmental Research Center (North Dakota)

    NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary national laboratory for energy systems research and development. NREL is operated for DOE under contract number DE-AC36-08GO28308.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister announces new parliamentary secretary team

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced a new parliamentary secretary team focused on building Canada strong.

    Canadians elected this new government with a mandate to define a new economic and security relationship with the United States, to build a stronger economy, to bring down costs, and to keep our communities safe. Parliamentary secretaries will support their respective cabinet ministers and secretaries of state to deliver on this mandate.

    The new parliamentary secretary team is appointed as follows:

    • Karim Bardeesy becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
    • Jaime Battiste becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
    • Rachel Bendayan becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
    • Kody Blois becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
    • Sean Casey becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
    • Sophie Chatel becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
    • Madeleine Chenette becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Sport)
    • Maggie Chi becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
    • Leslie Church becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour, for Seniors, and for Children and Youth, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families (Persons with Disabilities)
    • Caroline Desrochers becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
    • Ali Ehsassi becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy (Canada-U.S. Trade)
    • Mona Fortier becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • Peter Fragiskatos becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
    • Vince Gasparro becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)
    • Wade Grant becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    • Claude Guay becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
    • Brendan Hanley becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs
    • Corey Hogan becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
    • Anthony Housefather becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience
    • Mike Kelloway becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Internal Trade
    • Ernie Klassen becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries
    • Annie Koutrakis becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families
    • Kevin Lamoureux becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
    • Patricia Lattanzio becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
    • Ginette Lavack becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services
    • Carlos Leitao becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
    • Tim Louis becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy (Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy)
    • Jennifer McKelvie becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
    • Marie-Gabrielle Ménard becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
    • David Myles becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Nature)
    • Yasir Naqvi becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (International Development)
    • Taleeb Noormohamed becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation
    • Rob Oliphant becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • Tom Osborne becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board
    • Jacques Ramsay becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety
    • Pauline Rochefort becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Rural Development)
    • Sherry Romanado becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
    • Jenna Sudds becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)
    • Ryan Turnbull becomes Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)

    Prime Minister Carney also announced that Élisabeth Brière will serve as Deputy Chief Government Whip, and Arielle Kayabaga will serve as Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

    Quote

    “Canada’s new parliamentary secretary team will deliver on the government’s mandate for change, working collaboratively with all parties in Parliament to build the strongest economy in the G7, advance a new security and economic partnership with the United States, and help Canadians get ahead.”

    Quick Fact

    • Parliamentary secretaries are chosen by the Prime Minister to assist ministers and secretaries of state.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Transformative Infrastructure Projects in Village of Catskill

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced the start of construction on transformative water and sewer projects totaling $30 million in the Village of Catskill. The Village is modernizing its outdated wastewater and stormwater system to safeguard the Hudson River and build a stronger, more resilient community. The village is also replacing a century-old water main and undertaking additional improvements that will protect drinking water. A combination of State, federal and local investments, including more than $24 million in grants, are making the projects affordable for local ratepayers while delivering good-paying jobs to the Capital District. The projects signify important progress for Catskill — cleaner water, stronger infrastructure and new opportunities for growth.

    “This project reflects New York’s unwavering commitment to clean water and affordability,” Governor Hochul said. “By upgrading outdated water systems and reducing harmful pollution in the Hudson River, we’re ensuring that communities have access to safe, clean water, without placing added strain on family budgets. These investments are not only protecting the health of our residents today but also creating a more sustainable future for New Yorkers.”

    Catskill’s sewer project will reduce inflow and filtration in the sanitary sewers, allowing for the future decommissioning of four outdated sewer outfalls that currently discharge untreated or partially treated wastewater into the Hudson River during heavy rain events. By upgrading key components of the local sewer network, the project will reduce pollution, ensure reliable wastewater services for residents, and strengthen the community’s resilience to extreme weather-related impacts.

    The drinking water project is part of a comprehensive effort that includes replacing aging water mains, reconstructing the sedimentation basin, constructing a new water storage tank, and upgrading the existing water filtration plant. This project marks a significant step toward ensuring the long-term health and safety of the village’s water supply.

    These projects are funded by grants from Governor Hochul’s continued commitment to clean water and investments from the State Revolving Funds, enhanced in part by the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The State Revolving Funds are New York’s primary financial vehicle for advancing the State’s clean water goals, delivering billions annually to communities statewide. The additional federal investment through IIJA has expanded the Funds’ reach, allowing more communities to undertake critical water and sewer projects while minimizing the financial burden on local ratepayers.

    This investment is part of New York’s broader strategy to maximize the impact of state and federal infrastructure dollars, ensuring every region benefits from cleaner water, safer systems, and long-term sustainability.

    The sewer project funding includes:

    • $13.7 million from the State’s Water Quality Improvement Program and Water Infrastructure Improvement grants
    • $7.5 million federal grant and $3.8 million interest-free financing from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, enhanced by IIJA funding

    The drinking water project funding includes:

    • $2.9 million from the State’s Water Infrastructure Improvement grant program
    • $2 million in low-interest financing from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund

    In addition to protecting water quality, the projects will support construction, manufacturing, engineering, and other related industry jobs. The projects will be completed in multiple phases. This phase is expected to be completed in Summer 2026.

    Environmental Facilities Corporation President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said, “EFC is proud to support these vital projects that will directly benefit Catskill and the communities along the Hudson River, and further Governor Hochul’s statewide commitment to clean water. Thanks to the power of the State Revolving Funds and New York’s targeted water infrastructure grants, we’re helping communities afford projects that otherwise might be out of reach. These investments not only protect our environment but also ensure long-term affordability for local ratepayers.”

    Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “The village of Catskill’s critical infrastructure projects will safeguard drinking water, reduce pollution in the Hudson River, and enhance resiliency in the face of increasingly destructive storms. DEC is proud to partner with EFC and village leaders as we advance Governor Hochul’s clean water priorities and make record state investments in projects like this so they are more affordable for communities and protect residents throughout the region.”

    New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Governor Hochul continues to show her commitment to ensuring access to safe drinking water for communities like Catskill and throughout the State of New York. Investments in water infrastructure that are affordable for all are essential to public health. The State Health Department will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to protect this most vital resource and the health of New Yorkers.”

    Senator Charles Schumer said, “Every family and resident in Catskill should have access to clean drinking water and a modern water-sewer system. I’m proud to deliver millions in federal funding from our bipartisan Infrastructure, Investment & Jobs law to modernize the village’s wastewater and stormwater system. This will help clean the Hudson River by cleaning up the sewer outflows and ensuring residents have access to cleaner drinking water – all while creating good-paying jobs, jobs, jobs. I’m grateful for Governor Hochul’s partnership in the fight to turn the tide on our state’s aging water infrastructure to keep our communities economically safe, healthy and economically vibrant.”

    State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Investing in modern water infrastructure is one of the most effective ways we can protect the Hudson River Valley watershed and ensure clean, reliable drinking water for local communities like the Village of Catskill. New York has some of the oldest water systems in the country, and too often, the cost of these upgrades is insurmountable for small communities to manage on their own. I’m proud to have helped secure the state support that made these water infrastructure improvements in Catskill possible, and I thank Governor Hochul for her partnership in getting it done.”

    Greene County Director of Economic Development, Tourism, and Planning James Hannahs said, “Access to clean drinking water and effective stormwater management is essential for the high quality-of-life factor that Greene County strives to strengthen and maintain. With these necessary updates to their water infrastructure and resilient safeguards to the Hudson River, the Village of Catskill will solidify its profile as the premiere destination to raise a family, open a business, and connect with the Great Northern Catskills.”

    Catskill Village Board President Natasha Law said, “The Village of Catskill is excited to announce that we are officially breaking ground on our water and sewer projects, funded by $16.6 million in state grants, $7.5 million in federal grants, and additional financing from the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. These essential improvements will protect water quality within our community. We anticipate completing this phase by Summer 2026 and look forward to the positive impact on our village.”

    New York’s Commitment to Water Quality

    New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure, including more than $2.2 billion in financial assistance from EFC for local water infrastructure projects in State Fiscal Year 2024 alone. With $500 million allocated for clean water infrastructure in the FY26 Enacted Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $6 billion in water infrastructure between 2017 and this year. Any community needing assistance with water infrastructure projects is encouraged to contact EFC. New Yorkers can track projects benefiting from EFC’s investments using the interactive project impact dashboard.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Coast Guard responds, investigates vessel fire in Fajardo, Puerto Rico

    Source: United States Coast Guard

     

    06/05/2025 10:55 AM EDT

    Coast Guard Sector San Juan marine investigators and Incident Management personnel responded, Wednesday, to a fire aboard the 75-foot motor yacht Emilia in Fajardo.  The vessel fire was successfully extinguished by local emergency responders, there are no people missing or injuries reported, and Coast Guard investigators are working to determine the cause of the incident.  Coast Guard Incident Management personnel are working with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and other local authorities to assess the impact of any remaining fuel pollution in the water. 

    For more breaking news follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Heinrich Join Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Obesity Epidemic

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) joined a bipartisan group of Senators in reintroducing the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) to combat the obesity crisis in the United States by providing regular screenings. The bill would also prevent diseases associated with obesity through expanded coverage of new health care specialists and chronic weight management medications for Medicare recipients.
    “Access to the full range of health care options is essential to preventing deadly, obesity-related illnesses – one of the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S.,” said Senator Luján. “The bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act will expand Medicare coverage, support those fighting obesity, and help save lives.”
    The bill was introduced by U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), and is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Chris Coons (D-DE).
    The following organizations have endorsed TROA this Congress: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pas, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Diabetes Association, American Gastroenterological Association, American Medical Group Association, American Psychological Association, American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, American Society for Nutrition, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, Black Woman’s Health Imperative, Boehringer-Ingelheim, ConscienHealth, Currax, Diabetes Leadership Council, Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, Eli Lilly and Company, Endocrine Society, Gerontological Society of America, Global Liver Institute, Healthcare Leadership Council, HealthyWomen, Intuitive Surgical, MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, National Consumers League, National Council on Aging, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Kidney Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Medicine Association, Ro, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, The Obesity Society, Trust for America’s Health, WW Weight Watchers International, and YMCA of the USA.
    Background:
    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diseases associated with obesity such as heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer are the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. TROA would work to directly prevent these comorbidities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Agency revokes Yorkshire waste site permit

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Environment Agency revokes Yorkshire waste site permit

    The Environment Agency has served a notice to revoke the environmental permit for a waste site in West Yorkshire.

    This means that, once the revocation takes effect, Mineral Processing Ltd in South Elmsall must cease all activities allowed by the permit.

    Once in effect it must also take the steps set out in the notice to remove waste from the site. If it does not comply with the notice, it will be committing an offence.

    Mineral Processing Ltd has 20 working days to appeal the decision through the Planning Inspectorate. If an appeal is made against the revocation, the permit will remain in place until the outcome of the appeal.

    The permit revocation forms part of the Environment Agency’s enforcement efforts to reduce the impact the site is having on the local community.

    Planning Inspectorate dismisses suspension notice appeal

    It follows a decision announced by the Planning Inspectorate on Tuesday (3 June) to dismiss the appeal made by Mineral Processing Ltd against the Environment Agency’s decision to issue a suspension notice at the site. This means the suspension notice remains in place.

    The Inspectorate agreed that the waste on site exceeded the permitted amount ‘by some considerable margin’.

    The decision also established that waste was being misdescribed – in that waste was being brought on to site that is not allowed by the permit. This includes evidence from Environment Agency testing in 2022 that found hazardous substances, which is not permitted.

    It also agreed there is a risk of pollution from the site as set out in the Environment Agency’s suspension notice – leachate entering ground waters and surface waters; waste escaping from the site as dust and litter; odour from deposited waste; and a risk to human health or the quality of the environment from increased methane levels.

    ‘Total disregard’ for regulatory efforts

    Carly Chambers, Area Environment Manager for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire said:

    Mineral Processing Ltd has shown a total disregard for the regulatory efforts of the Environment Agency and the impact on local residents and the environment.

    Following the decision by the Planning Inspectorate we have therefore taken immediate action to revoke the environmental permit for this site.

    We know the impact this site is having on the local community and we continue to take robust action against the operator.

    We are also investigating suspected offences committed since the suspension notice was issued.

    The Environment Agency issued a suspension notice to Mineral Processing Ltd in June 2024, which it appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. The suspension notice remained in force during the appeal period.

    The suspension notice means the environmental permit does not authorise waste being brought on to the site. It also requires the staged removal of waste that has been brought on to the site by Mineral Processing Ltd in breach of its permit.

    The breaches of the environmental permit result in an increased risk of pollution, including the potential for odour, which has been impacting on the local community over recent months. Not abiding by a suspension notice is an offence.

    Agency is investigating suspected offences

    As well as revoking the permit, the Environment Agency is investigating suspected offences committed since the suspension notice was issued. It is assessing all its enforcement options, which may include serving further enforcement notices and prosecution.

    Current work at the site includes:

    • Carrying out odour monitoring in the area to collect evidence to determine the impact on the environment and community. There is a Mobile Monitoring Facility (MMF) installed in the area, and handheld gas analysers are also used.
    • Requiring the operator to submit an Odour Management Plan to address the ongoing odour pollution.
    • Continuing to inspect the site and recording permit breaches, as well as acting on intelligence to carry out proactive operations around vehicle movements.
    • We are working closely with partners including the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Wakefield Council.

    Odour issues should be reported to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour Incident Hotline on 0800 807060. To protect the safety and wellbeing of the public and ensure timely capture of information, any other information relating to the site should be reported to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: World Environment Day: Greenpeace Africa confronts Coca-Cola, world’s top plastic polluter with giant glass bottle cap installation

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Photos: click here to view

    Activists demand Coca-Cola cap plastic production as company produces 120 billion throwaway bottles annually

    JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – June 5, 2025: On World Environment Day, Greenpeace Africa activists staged a demonstration outside Coca-Cola’s corporate offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg, with a striking 3-meter by 3-meter glass bottle cap installation and activists wearing elaborate costumes constructed from plastic waste. The action highlighted Coca-Cola’s status as the world’s number one plastic polluter for six consecutive years.

    The visual spectacle included activists displaying banners reading “Cap it Coke” and “It tastes better in glass” as a demonstration for Coca-Cola to return to its iconic glass bottle packaging. The centrepiece was a towering glass bottle cap prop, symbolising the transition from single-use plastic bottles back to refillable glass alternatives that Coca-Cola once championed.

    Hellen Kahaso Dena, Project Lead, Pan-African Plastics Project for Greenpeace Africa said:
    “If Coca-Cola is really serious about solving the plastic and climate crisis, it needs to stop its greenwashing, cap its plastic production and invest in refill and reuse. Ending Coca-Cola’s addiction to single-use plastic is an important step in moving away from fossil fuels, protecting communities in Africa, and combating the climate crisis.”

    One activist, dressed in an elaborate theatrical costume constructed entirely from discarded plastic bottles and waste, moved through the demonstration space as a living embodiment of the pollution crisis caused by the beverage giant’s relentless production of throwaway packaging. The costume, created in collaboration with local artists, transformed plastic waste into an artistic statement about corporate responsibility and environmental destruction.

    “While big corporations like Coca-cola keep churning out single-use plastics and reaping millions in profit margins, waste pickers are left to deal with the consequences, sorting through mountains of waste for the tiny fraction that can be recycled,” added Dena.

    The timing of the action is particularly significant as it comes at a time when the Global Plastics Treaty (INC-5) negotiations failed to deliver a binding document, after which Coca-Cola lowered its environmental commitments. The company extended its sustainability timeline to 2035 and reduced its targets, now aspiring to achieve only 40% recycling in primary packaging and collect 75% of bottles and cans marketed.

    However, Coca-Cola has continued what activists describe as a “greenwashing spree,” making superficial design changes rather than addressing the root cause of plastic pollution. In 2023, the company changed its green Sprite bottle to a clear colour claiming improved recyclability. But critics suggest this merely changed the colour of plastic waste entering landfills and oceans.

    “This is corporate greenwashing at its worst. Instead of performative solutions, Coca-Cola should implement robust refill and reuse systems, cap plastic production, and advocate for a strong Global Plastic Treaty that addresses the crisis at its source,” concluded Dena.

    Over 99% of plastics derive from fossil fuels, directly linking plastic production to the climate crisis. The crisis affects the same communities that consume Coca-Cola products. The company’s business model relies heavily on fossil fuel extraction, contradicting any meaningful climate commitments.

    The action concluded with activists attempting to deliver their demands directly to Coca-Cola’s senior management, including CEO Sunil Gupta, CFO Norton Kingwill, and Sustainability Officer Layla Jeevanantham. No Coca-Cola representative appeared to meet the activists, and the memorandum was left at their doorstep alongside a trophy for World’s No. 1 Polluter.

    Greenpeace Africa’s demands to Coca-Cola:

    • Reduce single-use plastic packaging and invest in refill and reuse systems
    • Bring back glass bottles and scale up refillable options
    • Cap plastic production rather than extending inadequate timelines
    • Become a vocal advocate for a Global Plastics Treaty that delivers production caps and phase-downs
    • Support just transition for waste workers to decent working conditions away from plastic value chains

    About Greenpeace Africa:

    Greenpeace Africa works to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. The organisation campaigns to protect biodiversity, promote renewable energy, and hold corporations accountable for environmental destruction.

    Editor’s Notes:

    • The Theme for World Environment Day 2025 “Beat Plastic Pollution”
    • Coca-Cola has been named the top global plastic polluter for six consecutive years by Break Free From Plastic brand audits.
    • The world produces more than 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, two-thirds of which become waste.
    • Only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled globally.

    Media Contact:

    Ferdinand Omondi, Communication and Story Manager, Greenpeace Africa, Phone: +254 722 505 233, Email: [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace activists disrupt industrial fishing operation ahead of UN Ocean Conference

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    PACIFIC OCEAN, Thursday, 5 June 2025 – Greenpeace activists have disrupted an industrial longlining fishing operation in the South Pacific Ocean, seizing almost 20 kilometers of fishing gear and freeing nine sharks, including an endangered mako[1], near Australia and New Zealand.

    WATCH: PHOTO AND VIDEO HERE

    Crew aboard Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior retrieved the entire longline and more than 210 baited hooks from a EU-flagged industrial fishing vessel. An expert team on a small boat, releasing more than a dozen animals, including an endangered longfin mako shark, eight near-threatened blue sharks[2] and four swordfish. The crew also documented the vessel catching endangered sharks during its longlining operation.

    Greenpeace intercepted the vessel after it had left the Lord Howe Rise and South Tasman Sea region, where it had fished for more than 160 days over the last 12 months.

    The at-sea action follows new Greenpeace Australia Pacific analysis exposing the extent of shark catch from industrial longlining in parts of the Pacific Ocean. Latest fisheries data showed that almost 70% of EU vessels’ catch was blue shark in 2023 alone[3]. It comes ahead of next week’s UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, where world leaders will discuss ocean protection and the Global Ocean Treaty. 

    Georgia Whitaker, Senior Campaigner, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: 

    “These longliners are industrial killing machines. Greenpeace Australia Pacific took peaceful and direct action to disrupt this attack on marine life. We saved important species that would otherwise have been killed or left to die on hooks.” 

    “The scale of industrial fishing – still legal on the high seas – is astronomical. These vessels claim to be targeting swordfish or tuna, but we witnessed shark after shark being hauled up by these industrial fleets, including three endangered sharks in just half an hour. Greenpeace is calling on world leaders at the UN Ocean Conference to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030 from this wanton destruction.”

    Greenpeace Australia Pacific is calling on Environment Minister Murray Watt to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty in the first 100 days of government, and to propose large marine sanctuaries, including in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand. Australia signed the treaty in 2023.

    More than two-thirds of sharks worldwide are endangered, and a third of those are at risk of extinction from overfishing[4]. Over the last three weeks, the Rainbow Warrior has been documenting longlining vessels and practices off Australia’s east coast, including from Spain and China. 

    —ENDS—

    Greenpeace Australia Pacific media team: +61 407 581 404 or [email protected]

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

    Notes to Editor

    High res images and footage can be found here

    A new report in Nature overnight has outlined the importance of protecting the high seas

    [1] https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39341/2903170

    [2] https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39381/2915850

    [3] https://meetings.wcpfc.int/node/22532

    [4] https://iucn.org/press-release/202412/third-sharks-rays-and-chimaeras-are-threatened-extinction-new-report-narrows

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SA’s plan to shield coastal assets from climate change

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    With the impact of climate change intensifying globally, government has launched a plan that aims to effectively manage South Africa’s coastal assets.

    This as the country’s coastline or coastal cities are at the frontline of climate change, facing severe and multifaceted complexities that threaten livelihoods, communities, economies, infrastructure, and ecosystems.

    “With climate change projected to increase the frequency and intensity of coastal storms, accelerate sea-level rise, and compound vulnerabilities due to population growth, the risks to infrastructure and ecosystems are escalating. 

    “Our coastal future rests on our ability to innovate and to act with unity and urgency. By investing in nature-based solutions, strengthening climate governance, and unlocking sustainable finance, we can shield our people and ecosystems from the harshest impacts of climate change,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dr Dion George said on Thursday in Pretoria.

    The Climate Change Coastal Adaptation Response Plan builds on the National Coastal Management Programme – the department’s guiding instrument for coastal governance – by prioritising climate-focused interventions that protect natural heritage, support sustainable livelihoods, and foster inclusive economic growth. 

    This year’s celebrations of the World Environment Day (commemorated annually on 5 June) take place concurrently with the launch of the Climate Change Coastal Adaptation Response Plan to support the country’s commitment to the Group of Twenty (G20) Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group, that is being led by South Africa. 

    South Africa assumed the Presidency of the G20 group of countries, which comprises many of the world’s largest developing and developed economies, on 1 December 2024.

    “South Africa contributes to global discussions on biodiversity conservation, sustainable land and ocean management, circular economy, and pollution reduction,” George said.

    This milestone initiative aligns with this year’s World Environment Day global theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution”.

    “It also underscores the importance of implementation support for developing economy countries, ensuring that climate and environmental targets are not only ambitious but also achievable. 

    “As the G20 increasingly focuses on aligning economic recovery with green development, South Africa continues to advocate for a balanced approach – one that upholds the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, and respective capabilities,” the Minister said.

    Having a robust Climate Change Coastal Adaptation Response Plan is essential to supporting South Africa’s Operation Phakisa efforts to achieve a sustainable oceans economy. 

    Operation Phakisa aims to unlock the full potential of South Africa’s ocean economy—spanning sectors such as marine transport, aquaculture, tourism, and offshore resources.

    “As climate change increasingly threatens coastal infrastructure, ecosystems, and livelihoods through rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and extreme weather events, adaptation measures ensure that economic activities in the ocean space remain viable and resilient.

    “However, without integrating climate resilience into planning and development, these gains are at risk. The Coastal Adaptation Response provides the necessary framework to manage risks, guide climate-smart investment, and ensure that coastal growth does not come at the cost of long-term sustainability. 

    “Together, these initiatives promote a balanced approach—driving economic development while safeguarding coastal ecosystems and livelihoods against the growing risks of climate change,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Tenney Introduces the Freedom to Frack Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today reintroduced the Freedom to Frack Act to withhold certain federal grants from states that issue statewide hydraulic fracturing bans. 

    Much of Central New York, Western New York, and the Southern Tier lie above the Marcellus Shale and the deeper Utica Shale formations. These tremendous resources alone could support the state’s energy needs for decades and create hundreds of thousands of jobs for New Yorkers. Unfortunately, despite this, in 2014, New York implemented a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The ban was then officially established in 2015 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and codified in 2020 by the New York State Legislature.

    New York’s statewide fracking ban directly opposes environmental science and basic economics. American natural gas is the cleanest in the world, and its exportation has been the single greatest force behind the reduction in global CO2 emissions. The ban has also been a disaster for New York’s economy, as despite its abundant natural resources, New Yorkers pay some of the highest prices in the country for energy. While Pennsylvania has become the second largest natural gas producer in the United States, New York continues to fall behind. Albany Democrats must reverse course on their disastrous fracking ban so New Yorkers can rightfully take advantage of the liquid gold lying beneath their feet.   

    “President Trump has taken bold action to unleash American energy production through multiple Executive Orders, and it’s time for states like New York to follow suit. I introduced the Freedom to Frack Act to push back against Albany’s anti-science, politically motivated ban on hydraulic fracturing. States that refuse to comply with these federal energy directives should face the consequences, including the loss of federal funding. Albany’s baseless, anti-American energy policies have blocked access to valuable local resources for too long. By lifting these restrictions, we can stimulate economic growth, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and fully unlock the potential of American energy,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder: Consultation on environmental claims and the Competition Act

    Source: Government of Canada News

    June 5, 2025 – GATINEAU (Québec), Competition Bureau

    For a long time, the Competition Act has included provisions that prohibit businesses from engaging in misleading advertising and deceptive marketing practices when promoting their products or business interests.

    In June of 2024, new sections were added to the Act. These new provisions require that businesses have evidence to back up certain environmental claims.

    In July of 2024, the Competition Bureau launched the first phase of consultation to gather insights from Canadians on specific questions related to the new greenwashing provisions of the Act.

    This winter, the Bureau conducted a second phase of consultation to seek feedback on its proposed guidelines. The guidelines were designed to help businesses ensure compliance with the Competition Act when making environmental claims.

    The Bureau carefully considered all of the over 400 submissions collected from both consultations. While a lot of the feedback in the submissions is reflected in the final guidance, some is not. The following provides information about a few common themes that did not make their way into the document, as well as the Bureau’s reasons for not including them.

    The scope of the guidance

    We heard that the guidelines should tell businesses exactly what environmental claims they can make in their marketing material, and when they can make them. However, the Act does not create rules about when a particular environmental claim can be made to the public. Instead, the Act allows businesses to make whatever environmental claims they wish, as long as those claims are not false or misleading, and as long as those claims are adequately and properly tested or substantiated where required. This requires an assessment not only of the literal wording of a claim, but also of the general impression created by the advertisement as a whole, including the words, images and layout.

    The Bureau’s role in the legal system

    Some people advised that the Bureau should act beyond its authority, such as repealing or delaying the amendments. It is important to note that Parliament is responsible for creating legislation such as the Competition Act, while the Bureau’s role is to enforce the laws within its mandate, including those prohibiting deceptive environmental claims.

    Some also encouraged the Bureau to take on the role of gatekeeper for those applying for private access to challenge certain types of anti-competitive conduct. This is, however, the responsibility of the Competition Tribunal.

    Finally, some suggested that the Bureau should interpret the new provisions rather than deferring to the courts. However, it is the role of the courts to interpret the law, including the new provisions of the Act.

    The impact of the guidance on securities-related claims

    Some people said that the Bureau should interpret the Act the same way many securities laws are enforced. However, not only are the requirements of securities laws different from those of the Act, but so are the objectives.

    The deceptive marketing practices provisions of the Act are intended to protect consumers of all kinds from deceptive advertising, whereas securities law is specifically intended to protect current and potential securities investors. In the Bureau’s view, the protections afforded to ordinary consumers under the Act should not be limited to the protections afforded to people who are seeking to invest in capital markets.

    Final guidance

    The Bureau greatly appreciates all the thoughtful input received in both rounds of consultation.

    For further details, we invite you to consult our final guidance on Environmental Claims and the Competition Act.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: UK funds controversial climate-cooling research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Will de Freitas, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

    Clouds over the ocean could be ‘brightened’ to reflect sunlight away from the planet. Kingcraft / shutterstock

    The UK government’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency – known as Aria – recently announced it is funding 21 research teams to explore what it terms climate cooling. The money involved (£56 million) isn’t much in the grand scheme of things. But experts on both sides of the debate (and this issue divides climate academics more than almost any other) agree it’s likely to be a precursor to more significant investment in future.

    This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. 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.

    To refresh, “geoengineering” refers to any large-scale moves to deliberately alter the climate to combat global warming. This could involve removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, perhaps with huge vacuum-like machines (that still don’t really exist) or, more prosaically, by growing more trees. Some experts would consider planting a forest or restoring a wetland as a form of geoengineering.

    But today we’re focusing on the other main category of geoengineering, known as “solar radiation management”, or SRM. The idea here is to ensure that more sunlight is reflected back into space before it can heat up the planet.

    What makes the new UK investment so important, says Robert Chris, is it’s the first time a state has put significant public money into researching solar radiation management. Chris, who researches geoengineering at The Open University, highlighted five projects (of the 21 total) which are likely to involve small-scale experiments:

    “Three … concern brightening clouds over the ocean, one explores a method of refreezing the Arctic and the fifth looks at a specific detail of the potential cooling effect of placing certain compounds in the stratosphere.”



    Read more:
    Five geoengineering trials the UK is funding to combat global warming

    Marine brightening

    Let’s start with the brighter clouds.

    “We’re using water cannons to spray seawater into the sky. This causes brighter, whiter clouds to form. These low marine clouds reflect sunlight away from the ocean’s surface.”

    That’s Daniel Harrison of Southern Cross University in Australia, writing in late 2023 about his research. He’s now been awarded UK government money to continue his work, looking specifically at whether brightening clouds directly over the Great Barrier Reef for a few months could reduce coral bleaching during a marine heat wave.

    “Modelling studies are encouraging and suggest it could delay the expected decline in coral cover. This could buy valuable time for the reef while the world transitions away from fossil fuels.”

    The UK funding will enable Harrison to extend his work and assess if it can be safe and effective, albeit only as a temporary measure specifically targeted at the Great Barrier Reef.



    Read more:
    Could ‘marine cloud brightening’ reduce coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef?

    The other two cloud brightening projects, run from the universities of Manchester and Nottingham, are looking at developing better ways to seed clouds in the first place.

    Arctic refreezing

    The Arctic refreezing project is run by Shaun Fitzgerald of the University of Cambridge, and focuses on sea ice. The idea is to pump sea water from below the ice onto its surface in the winter, where it freezes. This means there will be more ice accumulated ahead of the summer melting season, meaning more of the sun’s energy reflected back into space (ice is more reflective than open ocean).

    Losing Arctic sea ice creates a feedback loop – the warmer the water, the less sea ice is formed; the less sea ice there is, the warmer it gets.
    Ondrej Prosicky / shutterstock

    Fitzgerald recently returned from fieldwork in northern Canada and wrote about his work for The Conversation. “Crucially,” he said, “the research is focused on developing our understanding of these potential ideas. The research could show that they are impractical, unfeasible or would potentially make things worse.” For instance, he points out that thicker ice “may not be much use” if it is so much saltier that it melts more quickly. He describes initial results – before the government funding – as “inconclusive but encouraging”.



    Read more:
    Arctic ice is vanishing – our bold experiment is trying to protect it

    Blocking out the sun

    The final project Chris highlights looks at one aspect of proposals to inject tiny particles high in the atmosphere where they would help reflect sunlight back into space. This is probably the most likely to happen, eventually, as it’s relatively cheap and well-studied.

    One risk concerns the health and environmental impact of these particles as they fall back to the surface. Hugh Hunt, also from Cambridge, has been awarded funds to examine alternative compounds that may be less toxic than those usually proposed.

    Chris writes: “The plan is to send tiny samples into the stratosphere in specially designed gondolas attached to balloons. The gondolas will later be recovered, so that the effect of the stratosphere on the samples can be examined. Nothing will be released into the atmosphere.”

    Researchers in this field are generally quick to point out the risks involved. Chris cautions that: “Deliberately altering the atmosphere, a shared global resource, is fraught with ethical, geopolitical and practical problems.” That’s the case whether geoengineering is carried out by states or private interests.

    Is there public support, for instance? Democratic oversight? What if something goes wrong – who is to blame and who is responsible for fixing the mess? Should all countries agree on an action plan, since geoengineering will affects everyone?

    These are concerns shared by Cambridge’s Albert Van Wijngaarden, UCL’s Chloe Colomer and Adrian Hindes of Australia National University. Writing last year on the risk of critical voices being excluded from geoengineering research, they worry that if “geoengineering is essentially allowed to self-regulate, with no effective global governance, future research could easily take us down a dangerous path”.

    They outline an “unproductive” polarisation between advocates and critics, and argue that “upcoming research projects must factor in the concerns of opponents, and not represent only supporters of geoengineering or those who have not been explicitly against it”.

    Perhaps the UK government was indeed listening: in the recent Aria funding announcement, Van Wijngaarden and Colomer were awarded a grant to design “engagement programmes” for people in the Arctic who are “among the most impacted” by climate change and geoengineering, but who are often ignored “because of ongoing and historical power imbalances”.



    Read more:
    Plans to cool the Earth by blocking sunlight are gaining momentum but critical voices risk being excluded

    People such as Fitzgerald (the Arctic ice freezer) do tend to recognise these issues. Fitzgerald, together with his colleague Elil Hoole, says that plans to dim the sun must be led by those most affected by climate change.

    Robert Chris calls solar geoengineering a “crazy idea”. But he says the alternative – not doing it – may be worse. “Perhaps solar geoengineering is the price we must pay for our wholly inadequate climate change response to date.”

    – ref. UK funds controversial climate-cooling research – https://theconversation.com/uk-funds-controversial-climate-cooling-research-258210

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to design landscapes that enhance natural sounds and minimise noise pollution

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Carlos Abrahams, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Assessment – Director of Ecoacoustics, Nottingham Trent University

    Superblocks in Barcalona, Spain, keep traffic noise to the periphery of residential areas. David Alf/Shutterstock

    Sounds are integral parts of any landscape. Think of the calls of grouse and curlew on the Pennine Moors. Wind sieving through reed beds in the Norfolk Broads. Church bells chiming out over the hustle and bustle of central London. Every locale across the Earth, beneath our oceans, lakes and rivers, and even underground, has its own distinctive “soundscape”.

    Soundscapes are created by a combination of biological sounds – the voices of birds, bats and insects – alongside environmental sounds from rainfall, waves crashing on the shore and low-frequency seismic rumbles. Layered over these natural sound sources are human-made noises from planes, trains, traffic and other elements of 21st-century life.

    This human-made noise can be so loud and so pervasive in some areas that it blocks the natural sounds that would otherwise be audible. This affects the behaviour and life cycles of wildlife, because many species rely on sound for breeding activity, social communication and predator detection. Masking these important signals can reduce breeding success and drive populations away from the disturbed habitats.

    Noise pollution also reduces our own health and wellbeing. Chronic noise exposure is linked to elevated stress levels, impaired cognitive function and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The damaging soundscapes of European urban areas contribute to 12,000 premature deaths and cost €40 billion (£34 billion) every year.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    As soundscape researchers, we are trying to both understand and learn how to minimise the effects of noise on both wild nature and humans. Part of the solution involves adapting landscape design to build towns and cities that don’t just limit adverse noise pollution, but produce beneficial soundscapes. These can help people and wildlife engage with their surroundings and navigate more easily through them.

    For example, people might be drawn to vibrant chatter from a nearby street or use the sound of a river to place ourselves within the mental map of our neighbourhood. Paying attention to soundscapes within the landscape design process can create a stronger sense of place, linking us more closely to our surroundings.

    Many cities tackle noise at its source through urban design. In Barcelona, 57% of people are regularly exposed to excessive noise levels. The “superblocks” initiative – where motorised traffic is limited to peripheral roads around groups of buildings in the city – has allowed the pedestrianised inner streets to be opened up for people, planting and wildlife. This has created tranquil and rich local soundscapes and improved the population’s health in these areas.

    Landscape interventions, such as tree buffers, earth banks and noise walls, can limit noise propagation through the environment. At Buitenschot Park in the Netherlands, landscape architects have designed ridges or earth banks that absorb and disperse ground-level noise from the nearby Schiphol airport. These sculptural landforms were inspired by local observations that noise reduced with the ploughing of fields near the airport. The similar use of noise reduction surfaces, such as the low-noise asphalt currently being tested in Paris, also help to limit the spread of unwanted sound.

    Changes to the landscape also alter the perception of noise by the listener. Adding favourable sounds, such as flowing water, can draw attention away from traffic noise. Soundscape projects that include green spaces help increase biodiversity and engage citizens at the heart of the city. Some UK initiatives such as Bristol soundwalks and London’s Sounder City strategy involve the mapping of such quiet spaces to explain their purpose and encourage their use.

    Noise beyond cities

    Noise is not just an urban issue. Rural landscapes are adversely affected by agriculture, quarrying and tourism. Historically, rural landscapes have been afforded greater protection from noise than their urban counterparts. The UK national parks were originally designated to allow for the “quiet enjoyment”
    of countryside areas, while the tranquillity maps published two decades ago by the countryside charity Campaign to Protect Rural England sought to protect peaceful areas across the country.

    Today, rewilding and habitat restoration can play an important role in returning more natural soundscapes with a better balance of non-human and human soundmakers. Restoring wetlands, woodlands and grasslands increases vocalising species, like birds. This benefits both wildlife and people, enabling nature connection and improving environmental quality. By considering sound as a key element of sustainability and resilience, spaces can support biodiversity while enhancing the wellbeing and quality of life of the people in these communities.

    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.

    Carlos Abrahams works for the ecological consultancy Baker Consultants Ltd and owns shares in Soil Acoustics Ltd. He has received research funding from Innovate UK in leration to soil ecoacoustics.

    Usue Ruiz-Arana 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. How to design landscapes that enhance natural sounds and minimise noise pollution – https://theconversation.com/how-to-design-landscapes-that-enhance-natural-sounds-and-minimise-noise-pollution-252859

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: CAI Certified as a 2025 Top Employer in the United States by Top Employers Institute

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALLENTOWN, Pa., June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CAI, a global services firm, announced today its certification as a 2025 Top Employer in the United States by Top Employers Institute.

    Top Employers Institute, the global authority on HR strategies, certifies organizations based on their performance in the HR Best Practices Survey. The assessment audits six HR domains covering several categories including People Strategy, Work Environment, Technology, Talent Acquisition, Diversity, Well-being, and more.

    Highlights of CAI’s top-performing areas included its learning practices, talent acquisition, employer branding, diversity programs, and business strategy.

    “Our north star is to be an employer of choice,” said Tammy Harper, chief human resources officer at CAI. “Having earned the Top Employers certification underscores our commitment to foster a dynamic workplace that empowers our employees to thrive professionally and personally. As we continue to innovate our people strategies, we will measure success based on our growth and impact on the areas of opportunity identified and future assessments. Maintaining an exceptional employee experience for our talented workforce is our ultimate goal.”

    “Consistency in a not-so-consistent world? Amidst constant change—through technological advances, economic shifts, and evolving social landscapes—it is inspiring to see people and organizations rise to the challenge,” said David Plink, chief executive officer of Top Employers Institute. “This year, the Top Employers Certification Program highlights the dedication of our Top Employers as they continue to set the standard, consistently delivering world-class HR strategies and practices. These Top Employers strive to foster growth and well-being, all while enriching the world of work. We are proud to celebrate these people-first leaders and teams as the Top Employers for 2025!”

    For career opportunities at CAI, visit https://careers.cai.io/us/en

    About CAI

    CAI is a global services firm with over 9,000 associates worldwide and a yearly revenue of $1.3 billion+. We have over 40 years of excellence in uniting talent and technology to power the possible for our clients, colleagues, and communities. As a privately held company, we have the freedom and focus to do what’s right—whatever it takes. Our tailor-made solutions create lasting results across the public and commercial sectors, and we are trailblazers in bringing neurodiversity to the enterprise.

    About Top Employers Institute
    Top Employers Institute is the #1 global authority on HR strategies. With our world-leading Certification and data-led insights, we guide and empower organizations in delivering transformational people practices, driving business outcomes and helping them attract, engage and retain top talent.

    In 2025, Top Employers Institute has certified more than 2,400 organizations in 125 countries/regions. These certified Top Employers positively impact the lives of over 13 million employees globally.

    Top Employers Institute. For a better world of work.

    Contact:
    Madison Oler
    Sr. PR & Communications Specialist
    CAI
    Madison.oler@cai.io

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Storm damage costs are often a mystery – that’s a problem for understanding extreme weather risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By John Nielsen-Gammon, Regents Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University

    Hail can be destructive, yet the cost of the damage often isn’t publicly tracked. NOAA/NSSL

    On Jan. 5, 2025, at about 2:35 in the afternoon, the first severe hailstorm of the season dropped quarter-size hail in Chatham, Mississippi. According to the federal storm events database, there were no injuries, but it caused $10,000 in property damage.

    How do we know the storm caused $10,000 in damage? We don’t.

    That estimate is probably a best guess from someone whose primary job is weather forecasting. Yet these guesses, and thousands like them, form the foundation for publicly available tallies of the costs of severe weather.

    If the damage estimates from hailstorms are consistently lower in one county than the next, potential property buyers might think it’s because there’s less risk of hailstorms. Instead, it might just be because different people are making the estimates.

    Hail damage in Dallas in June 2012.
    Rondo Estrello/Flickr, CC BY-SA

    We are atmospheric scientists at Texas A&M University who lead the Office of the Texas State Climatologist. Through our involvement in state-level planning for weather-related disasters, we have seen county-scale patterns of storm damage over the past 20 years that just didn’t make sense. So, we decided to dig deeper.

    We looked at storm event reports for a mix of seven urban and rural counties in southeast Texas, with populations ranging from 50,000 to 5 million. We included all reported types of extreme weather. We also talked with people from the two National Weather Service offices that cover the area.

    Storm damage investigations vary widely

    Typically, two specific types of extreme weather receive special attention.

    After a tornado, the National Weather Service conducts an on-site damage survey, examining its track and destruction. That survey forms the basis for the official estimate of a tornado’s strength on the enhanced Fujita scale. Weather Service staff are able to make decent damage cost estimates from knowledge of home values in the area.

    They also investigate flash flood damage in detail, and loss information is available from the National Flood Insurance Program, the main source of flood insurance for U.S. homes.

    Tornadoes in May 2025 destroyed homes in communities in several states, including London, Ky.
    AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

    Most other losses from extreme weather are privately insured, if they’re insured at all.

    Insured loss information is collected by reinsurance companies – the companies that insure the insurance companies – and gets tabulated for major events. Insurance companies use their own detailed information to try to make better decisions on rates than their competitors do, so event-based loss data by county from insurance companies isn’t readily available.

    Losing billion-dollar disaster data

    There’s one big window into how disaster damage has changed over the years in the U.S.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, compiled information for major disasters, including insured losses by state. Bulk data won’t tell communities or counties about their specific risk, but it enabled NOAA to calculate overall damage estimates, which it released as its billion-dollar disasters list.

    From that program, we know that the number and cost of billion-dollar disasters in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years. News articles and even scientific papers often point to climate change as the primary culprit, but a much larger driver has been the increasing number and value of buildings and other types of infrastructure, particularly along hurricane-prone coasts.

    Critics in the past year called for more transparency and vetting of the procedures used to estimate billion-dollar disasters. But that’s not going to happen, because NOAA in May 2025 stopped making billion-dollar disaster estimates and retired its user interface.

    Previous estimates can still be retrieved from NOAA’s online data archive, but by shutting down that program, the window into current and future disaster losses and insurance claims is now closed.

    Emergency managers at the county level also make local damage estimates, but the resources they have available vary widely. They may estimate damages only when the total might be large enough to trigger a disaster declaration that makes relief funds available from the federal government.

    Patching together very rough estimates

    Without insurance data or county estimates, the local offices of the National Weather Service are on their own to estimate losses.

    There is no standard operating procedure that every office must follow. One office might choose to simply not provide damage estimates for any hailstorms because the staff doesn’t see how it could come up with accurate values. Others may make estimates, but with varying methods.

    The result is a patchwork of damage estimates. Accurate values are more likely for rare events that cause extensive damage. Loss estimates from more frequent events that don’t reach a high damage threshold are generally far less reliable.

    The number of severe hail reports in southeast Texas listed in the National Centers for Environmental Information’s storm events database is strongly correlated with population. The county with the most reports and greatest detail in those reports is home to Houston. Hailstorms in the three easternmost counties are rarely associated with damage estimates.
    John Nielsen-Gammon and B.J. Baule

    Do you want to look at local damage trends? Forget about it. For most extreme weather events, estimation methods vary over time and are not documented.

    Do you want to direct funding to help communities improve resilience to natural disasters where the need is greatest? Forget about it. The places experiencing the largest per capita damages depend not just on actual damages but on the different practices of local National Weather Service offices.

    Are you moving to a location that might be vulnerable to extreme weather? Companies are starting to provide localized risk estimates through real estate websites, but the algorithms tend to be proprietary, and there’s no independent validation.

    4 steps to improve disaster data

    We believe a few fixes could make NOAA’s storm events database and the corresponding values in the larger SHELDUS database, managed by Arizona State University, more reliable. Both databases include county-level disasters and loss estimates for some of those disasters.

    First, the National Weather Service could develop standard procedures for local offices for estimating disaster damages.

    Second, additional state support could encourage local emergency managers to make concrete damage estimates from individual events and share them with the National Weather Service. The local emergency manager generally knows the extent of damage much better than a forecaster sitting in an office a few counties away.

    Third, state or federal governments and insurance companies can agree to make public the aggregate loss information at the county level or other scale that doesn’t jeopardize the privacy of their policyholders. If all companies provide this data, there is no competitive disadvantage for doing so.

    Fourth, NOAA could create a small “tiger team” of damage specialists to make well-informed, consistent damage estimates of larger events and train local offices on how to handle the smaller stuff.

    With these processes in place, the U.S. wouldn’t need a billion-dollar disasters program anymore. We’d have reliable information on all the disasters.

    John Nielsen-Gammon receives funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Texas.

    William Baule receives funding from NOAA, the State of Texas, & the Austin Community Foundation.

    – ref. Storm damage costs are often a mystery – that’s a problem for understanding extreme weather risk – https://theconversation.com/storm-damage-costs-are-often-a-mystery-thats-a-problem-for-understanding-extreme-weather-risk-257105

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How your electric bill may be paying for big data centers’ energy use

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ari Peskoe, Lecturer on Law, Harvard University

    Your power bill may be hiding something. photoschmidt/iStock/Getty Images Plus

    In the race to develop artificial intelligence, large technology companies such as Google and Meta are trying to secure massive amounts of electricity to power new data centers. Electric utilities see the prospect of earning large profits by providing electricity to these power-hungry facilities and are competing for their business by offering discounts not available to average consumers.

    In our paper Extracting Profits from the Public, we explain how utilities are forcing regular ratepayers to pay for the discounts enjoyed by some of the nation’s largest companies and identify ways policymakers can limit the costs to the public.

    Shifting costs

    In much of the U.S., utilities are monopolists. Within their service territories, they are the only companies allowed to deliver electricity to consumers. To fund their operations, utilities split the costs of maintaining and expanding their systems among all ratepayers – homeowners, businesses, warehouses, factories and anyone else who uses electricity.

    Historically, a utility expanded its system to meet growing demand for electricity from new factories, businesses and homes. To pay for its expansion − new power plants, new transmission lines and other equipment − the utility would propose to raise electricity rates by different amounts for various types of consumers.

    Public utility commissions are state agencies charged with ensuring that the public gets a fair deal. These commissions monitor how much money the utility spends to provide electric service and how its costs are shared among various types of ratepayers, including residential, commercial and industrial consumers. Ultimately, the public utility commission is supposed to approve any rate increases based on its assessment of what’s fair to consumers.

    Splitting the utility’s costs among all consumers made perfect sense when population growth and economic development across the economy stimulated the need for new infrastructure. But today, in many utility service territories, most of the projected growth in electricity demand is due to new data centers.

    Here’s the problem for consumers: To meet data center demand, utilities are building new power plants and power lines that are needed only because of data center growth. If state regulators allow utilities to follow the standard approach of splitting the costs of new infrastructure among all consumers, the public will end up paying to supply data centers with all that power.

    An artist’s rendering of a proposed Meta data center in Richland Parish, La.
    Meta via Facebook

    A big price tag

    One particularly acute example is in Louisiana. A Meta data center under development in the northeastern corner of the state is projected to use, by our calculations, twice as much energy as the city of New Orleans.

    Entergy, the regional monopoly utility, is proposing to build more than US$3 billion worth of new gas-fired power plants and delivery infrastructure to meet the data center’s energy demand. Rather than billing Meta directly for these costs, Entergy is proposing to include the costs in rates paid by all customers.

    Entergy claims its contract with Meta will cover some portion of the $3 billion price tag and that will mitigate any increases in consumers’ bills. But Entergy has asked state regulators to keep key terms of the contract secret, and only a redacted version of its application is available online.

    The public has no idea how much it might pay if the commission approves the contract. And if the Meta data center ends up using much less power than the company anticipates, the public does not know whether it would be on the hook to pay higher electricity rates for longer periods to guarantee Entergy a profit.

    The electronics in data centers consume large amounts of electricity.
    RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

    Secret agreements

    Our research, reviewing nearly 50 public utility commission proceedings about data centers’ power needs across 10 states, uncovered dozens of secretive contracts between utilities and data centers. Unlike Louisiana, most states require utilities to submit to the public utility commission their one-off deals with data centers, but they allow utilities to conceal the pricing terms from the public.

    In normal rate-review cases, numerous parties advocate for their interests in a public proceeding, including members of the public, industry groups and the utility itself. But as our paper finds, utility commission reviews of data center contracts are based on confidential utility filings that are inaccessible to the general public. Few, if any, outsiders participate, and as a result the commission often hears only the utility’s version of the deal.

    Because the pricing terms are secret, it is impossible to know whether the deal that a utility is offering to a data center is too low to cover the utility’s costs of providing power to the data center, which would mean that the public is subsidizing the deal. History shows, however, that utilities have a long history of exploiting their monopolies to shift costs to the public, including through secret contracts.

    Electric utilities also charge customers for the costs of building and maintaining transmission networks.
    Jay L. Clendenin/Getty Images

    Other public costs

    Our paper also explores other ways that the public pays for data center energy costs. For instance, many high-voltage interstate transmission projects, which connect large power plants to local delivery systems, are developed through regional planning processes run by numerous utilities. These alliances have complex rules for splitting the costs of new transmission lines and equipment among their utility members.

    Once a utility is charged its share, it spreads the costs of new transmission projects among its local ratepayers. Because some regions are building new transmission capacity to accommodate data centers, our analysis finds that the public has been forced to pay billions of dollars for data center growth.

    Data center energy costs can also be shifted when data centers connect directly to existing power plants. Under what are called “co-location” deals, the power plant stops selling energy to the wider public and just sells to the data center. With less supply in the overall market, prices go up and the public faces higher bills as a result.

    Many state legislatures are noticing these problems and working to figure out how to address them. Several recent bills would set new terms and conditions for future data center deals that could help protect the public from data center energy costs.

    Ari Peskoe is the Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at the Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program (EELP). EELP receives funding from philanthropic foundations that support the clean energy transition.

    Eliza Martin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How your electric bill may be paying for big data centers’ energy use – https://theconversation.com/how-your-electric-bill-may-be-paying-for-big-data-centers-energy-use-257794

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft’s green investment volume in 2024 reached 74 billion rubles

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    June 5 is World Environment Day, its goal is to draw attention to measures to protect ecosystems. In Russia, this date coincides with Ecologist Day.

    Rosneft implements large-scale events and projects aimed at preserving a favorable environment. In 2024, the Company’s “green” investments amounted to 74 billion rubles and exceeded the previous year’s level by 16%. In total, over the past three years, this figure amounted to almost 200 billion rubles.

    The key components of the Company’s long-term environmental agenda are reflected in the strategy “Rosneft-2030: Reliable Energy and Global Energy Transition”. The priorities of the Company and its subsidiaries include the implementation of programs for land reclamation, including “historical heritage”, increasing the reliability of pipelines, preserving water resources and biological diversity in the regions of presence.

    Thus, Samotlorneftegaz completed the implementation of a large-scale program for the reclamation of “historical heritage” lands in 2024 – the total area of restored lands exceeded 2.2 thousand hectares. The company carried out about 85% of all reclamation work using its own eco-service. During the project, new technologies were developed and unique experience was gained, which is in demand by other enterprises.

    Rosneft pays great attention to reforestation activities, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of ecosystems, the preservation of biodiversity, and the fight against climate change. The Company, together with the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, is implementing a comprehensive forest climate project aimed at unlocking the climate-regulating potential of the region’s forests and promoting sustainable development. In 2024, the Company and its subsidiaries in the regions of presence planted almost 11 million seedlings and trees of various species.

    Rosneft is actively implementing the principles of a closed-loop economy (circular economy). Improving the efficiency of waste management processes is one of the priority goals of the Company’s strategy until 2030. The Company’s production enterprises are successfully implementing waste-free technologies that make it possible to obtain artificial soil from drill cuttings – an environmentally friendly building material.

    In addition, the enterprises of the Samara group of the Company handed over almost 300 tons of spent catalyst for recycling. More than 8 thousand tons of non-ferrous and ferrous metal were sent for recycling by the Achinsk Oil Refinery, Saratov Oil Refinery, Syzran Oil Refinery, Kuibyshevsky Oil Refinery, Novokuibyshevsky Oil Refinery, RN-Vankor and Bashneft enterprises.

    The Kuibyshev Oil Refinery, Novokuibyshevsk Oil Refinery, RN-Vankor and Bashneft enterprises also sent about 4.5 thousand tons of waste oils and emulsions, etc. for recycling.

    Biodiversity conservation is another significant area of Rosneft’s environmental activities. The company has been holding annual events to replenish Russia’s aquatic bioresources for over 10 years. In 2024, Rosneft enterprises released over 21.7 million young fish into the country’s water bodies.

    Volunteers of the Company, its subsidiaries and design institutes also actively participate in various environmental initiatives, promote the development of a culture of rational and responsible consumption of natural resources. Employees with children take part in events for greening and improvement of urban areas and natural recreational zones, cleaning of coastlines as part of federal environmental campaigns such as “Green Spring”, “Garden of Memory”, “Water of Russia”, “Clean Shores” and others.

    For over 15 years, Samotlorneftegaz volunteers have been holding clean-up days to clean the shoreline of Lake Kymyl-Emtor as part of the All-Russian campaign “Water of Russia”.

    Samara oil workers help the employees of the Botanical Garden of Samara University to clear the territory of dead wood and leaves, to purchase rare plant species and plant seedlings, and also to restore and improve springs in the region. In 2024, volunteers of the Samara region collected more than 30 cubic meters of garbage from the coastal areas of the Volga and Sok rivers. Volunteers of the Novokuibyshevsk Petrochemical Company collected 930 kg of household waste during an environmental run.

    In 2024, RN-Nyaganneftegaz oil workers collected about 3 tons of household waste from the coastline of the Nyagan-Yugan River.

    Earlier, on the eve of Victory Day, employees of Rosneft enterprises organized the cleaning of parks, memorial complexes and monuments dedicated to the feat of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War.

    The Company’s enterprises make a significant contribution to the conservation of natural resources – they organize campaigns to collect used batteries, plastic and waste paper for their further recycling. In 2024, Rosneft employees handed over over 1,100 kg of used batteries, uninterruptible power supplies and disposable batteries for recycling, transferred over 7 tons of plastic for recycling and collected about 180 tons of waste paper.

    Rosneft volunteers also actively promote environmental education of young people and conduct environmental quests, master classes, quizzes and eco-lessons for schoolchildren. For example, Orenburgneft implemented the Eco-School project in 2024 and, together with students from the region’s schools, collected more than 10 tons of waste paper, more than 70 kg of batteries and more than 17 kg of plastic caps.

    For 14 years now, the company has been holding annual environmental safety competitions, which help to raise the level of environmental culture and serve as an incentive for subsidiaries to build up their competencies and improve their work in this area.

    The successful environmental activities of Rosneft subsidiaries have received high public praise. In 2024, the Company’s plants – Syzran Oil Refinery, Novokuibyshevsky Oil Refinery, Kuibyshevsky Oil Refinery – received the highest awards of the All-Russian competition “Leader of Environmental Activities in Russia”.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 5, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNECE advances support for Ukraine’s recovery through action on green and resilient urban energy projects

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the country’s energy infrastructure has suffered approximately $20 billion in damage, causing widespread power outages and insufficient heat supply – with the cities of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv alone accounting for over $630 million in losses, according to UNDP.  

    While emergency efforts have focused on rebuilding existing capacity and fossil fuel capacity replacements, this approach can overlook the need for more resilient and sustainable local energy solutions. In addition to the need to rebuild energy infrastructure and meet ambitious 2030 renewable energy targets in place in national energy and climate laws, Ukraine aims to move to a system that balances centralized and decentralized systems, across heat, electricity and energy demand.  

    In this context, Ukrainian cities will play an important role in the country’s sustainable and resilient reconstruction that is aligned with the energy transition, as well as with European standards and regulations. 

    Meeting with Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva, H.E. Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean reiterated UNECE’s steadfast commitment to help the government address these issues, building on strong cooperation on urban development and energy policy. Looking ahead to the Ukraine Recovery Conference to be held in Rome in July, she underscored solidarity and ongoing support for Ukraine’s sustainable and resilient recovery across UNECE’s areas of expertise. 

    Local action for Ukraine’s green energy recovery 

    Support to urban reconstruction planning has been a core dimension of UNECE’s support to Ukraine’s recovery since the start of the war. Through the UN4UkrainianCities initiative, UNECE has mobilized international partners to support the development of concept master plans and pilot projects in the cities of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, and has supported the government to draft new housing legislation, including the State Housing Policy Strategy, as well as to strengthen capacities for the Urban Planning Cadastre. 

    To this end, UNECE, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Autonomous Region of Bolzano in Italy jointly organized an international study trip to strengthen the capacities of the cities of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, among other 2 municipalities, for integrated urban energy planning focused on decentralized and renewable local energy and modern district heating systems.  

    This study visit is facilitated by the UNEP programme “Unlocking greener and more resilient energy in Ukrainian cities”, supported by the Italian Development Co-operation (AICS), and by UNECE’s UN4UkrainianCities initiative. Additional support to the study visit is provided by the NOI Technopark in Bolzano, Alperia (Bolzano, Italy), and EURAC Research. 

    Officials from Kharkiv and Mykolaiv will benefit from the guidance of international experts, and site visits to state-of-the-art local, renewable and decentralized energy installations. 

    Mobilizing partnerships meet financing needs on the ground 

    At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference this week, the City Council of Bucha, home to 73,000 people and located 30km from Kyiv, presented a project for the construction of a decentralised city energy system. Supported by UNECE, this provided an opportunity to present the project seeking €145 million from potential investors and financiers in staged investment through Public-Private Partnerships. 

    Developed in response to energy capacity losses during the war, the distributed energy system aims to provide a reliable uninterruptible power supply of over 112 MW through a clean, flexible and autonomous system comprising generation facilities and grid connection infrastructure. This would include power plants for households and critical infrastructure, power for the city’s industrial cluster, and energy storage systems. The project would in addition create an estimated 120 jobs. 

    Continued support for sustainable recovery 

    In Geneva, the Executive Secretary also recalled UNECE’s broader, multisectoral support to the government of Ukraine in implementing the National Recovery Plan, including through: the PIERS methodology to assess sustainability of infrastructure projects, facilitating Public-Private Partnerships and other investment; the Platform for Action on the Green Recovery of Ukraine; the Inter-agency Coordination Group on Environmental Assessments for Ukraine; harnessing Innovation for Sustainable Development; support for water-related and other environmental challenges, leveraging UNECE Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and applying the UN Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) to support the sustainable management of Ukraine’s critical raw materials. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National Drought Group meets after driest spring in 132 years

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    National Drought Group meets after driest spring in 132 years

    Expert group told England has now experienced driest March, April and May since 1893.

    The Environment Agency convened a National Drought Group meeting today (5 June 2025) to discuss the latest outlook and hear from water companies about steps they are taking to prepare for the summer.  

    England has only seen 57% of the long-term average May rainfall and spring is the driest since the reign of Queen Victoria. However, the recent rain at the end of May and the start of June is helping to stabilise the position.

    The expert group will now meet monthly following a drought declaration in the north-west. Four other areas – the north-east, Yorkshire, east and west midlands – are also experiencing prolonged dry weather.  

    The EA told the group it has stepped up its operational response. This includes more compliance checks on businesses who abstract water, such as manufacturers, and increased monitoring of river and groundwater levels.

    The regulator is also working with all members of the National Drought Group, including the National Farmers Union, to help farmers plan their water needs over the summer.

    Meanwhile, water companies updated the group on how they are implementing their drought plans, including increased communication with customers, and speeding up the fixing of leaks.

    United Utilities in the north-west has increased the rate of finding and fixing leaks by 70% in recent weeks after a strong response from the community in spotting leaks during the dry weather.

    Youlgrave Waterworks, a private firm which supplies 500 homes in Derbyshire, became the first company to introduce a hosepipe ban at the start of June. The major water companies report they have no current plans for hosepipe bans but are keeping this under review.

    Helen Wakeham, EA Director of Water and National Drought Group chair, said: 

    It’s been the driest spring since 1893, and we need to be prepared for more summer droughts as our climate changes.

    The recent rainfall is having a positive effect, but it hasn’t been enough to stop a drought in the north-west and we must ensure we have enough water to last the entire summer.

    We are working with water companies, farmers and other abstractors to help them plan their water usage over the summer and urge people to be mindful about their daily use.

    The National Drought Group heard that without further substantial rain, some water companies may need to implement further drought measures this summer to conserve supplies.

    Water Minister Emma Hardy said:

    We face a water shortage in the next decade. That’s why the government is taking urgent steps to secure supplies into the future, as part of our Plan for Change.

    As an immediate step, we have convened the National Drought Group to make sure water companies are acting to conserve this precious resource and act in line with their drought plans.

    The Government has secured over £104 billion of private sector investment to fund essential infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs, and to cut leakage by 17% over the next five years.

    Dr Will Lang, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office said: 

    After the driest Spring for more than a century across England, the start of June has brought some much-needed rainfall with a mix of Atlantic weather systems interspersed with drier and sunnier periods expected to continue over the coming days.

    Most areas will experience showers at times with some seeing longer spells of rain.  From mid-June onwards, the forecast becomes less clear with signs of drier conditions becoming more dominant across southern England.

    Looking further ahead, the chance of a hot summer is higher than normal with an associated increased risk of heatwaves and related impacts. After the more unsettled and wetter start to June, the likelihoods of a wetter or drier than average summer remain evenly balanced.

    Periods of dry weather and low rivers can have several consequences for the environment and wildlife. Low oxygen levels in water can lead to fish kills, as well as more algal blooms and lower river flows prevent wildlife from moving up or downstream.  

    The National Drought Group – which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers, and conservation experts – heard:  

    • Reservoir levels are now at 77%.

    • Fish rescues have been carried out on the Rivers Redlake and Tern in Shropshire.  

    • Navigation issues have been noted with the Canals and Rivers Trust having to implement restrictions on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and Lancaster Canal because of low water levels.   

    • The quality of spring crops is becoming a concern because of the dry soil and poor grass growth for feed.  

    • Applications for Local Resource Options (LRO) screening studies are now open for groups of farmers to explore ways to improve water availability and reliability.

    The Environment Agency is encouraging the public to report environmental incidents to their 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60. Meanwhile angling groups are also asking members to report signs of environmental impacts.

    Notes to editors: 

    A decision to declare drought is taken based on reservoir levels, river flows and moisture in the soil along with consideration of the long-term weather forecasts.  

    More information on how drought is defined can be found here: Drought explained – Creating a better place

    Updates to this page

    Published 5 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects two cases of illegally importing animals in fourth phase of “Pet Guardian” operation (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs detects two cases of illegally importing animals in fourth phase of “Pet Guardian” operation  
    Yesterday, Hong Kong Customs at Sha Tau Kok spotted two separate situations of women who were seen pushing bikes and entering Hong Kong through the Chung Ying Street Checkpoint from the Mainland side of Chung Ying Street. Suspecting that there were animals inside the handbags on the bikes, in each case Customs officers immediately conducted a search on the women. A total of three suspected illegally imported animals, namely one kitten and two puppies, were uncovered inside the handbags. The two women, aged 55 and 32, were subsequently arrested.
     
    The two cases have been handed over to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for a follow-up investigation.
     
    Being a government department specifically responsible for tackling smuggling, Customs will continue to enhance co-operation and intelligence exchanges with other law enforcement agencies, and carry out targeted anti-smuggling operations at suitable times to disrupt relevant crimes.
     
    Under the Rabies Regulation, any person found guilty of illegally importing animals, carcasses or animal products is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for one year upon conviction.
    Issued at HKT 19:08

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: How to Partner With Industry (by Really Trying)

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Private industry relies on universities like UConn to conduct important research that benefits the sponsoring company as well as academic experts. But forging those partnerships can be difficult, especially for individuals and startups looking to make an impact.

    On May 8, UConn Tech Park played host to “How to Partner with Industry,” a seminar and panel discussion designed to give University researchers and entrepreneurs insight on making those valuable connections.

    “You don’t need to have an entrepreneurial mind to do a partnership with industry,” said Emmanouil Anagnostou, the Tech Park’s executive director as well as the Institute of the Environment and Energy. “Don’t think that you have to go way outside of your comfort zone to create industry programs.”

    The event reflected UConn’s partnerships with some of Connecticut’s largest and most influential companies, many of which sponsor centers and institutes within the Tech Park. The seminar offered advice on how to form partnerships with large companies as well as working with small and medium-sized businesses for mutual benefit.

    More than 70 people attended the seminar, including 50 members of UConn’s faculty. The attendees were advised to seek advocates to help propel them into commercial enterprise, drawing from alumni networks, the UConn Foundation, and the expert staff at Technology Commercialization Services, the wing of UConn’s research enterprise dedicated to tech transfer.

    The Tech Park offered a panel of successful researchers experienced with successful partnerships with industry. They included Anagnostou; Dennis D’Amico, an associate professor of animal science; Douglas Casa, a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology and CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute; and Mingyu Qiao, an assistant professor of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.

    All the panelists have conducted extensive independent or collaborative research. They advised on effective partnerships, including the ability to work with a company to mutually develop ideas.

    Anagnostou advised that the goal is not always solely individual success.

    “You can still be within the boundaries of your work and your lab,” Anagnostou said. “Simply change the mode of operation: Instead of looking at the merit of your ideas, look at the merit of your solution.”

    D’Amico exemplifies the point. A renowned food scientist specializing in dairy products, he is not seeking to establish his own business but rather works with artisans throughout the region to help them maximize their own output and quality.

    “You don’t need a tech park for small batch cheesemaking,” D’Amico said. “Most of my work is in applied research. Cheesemakers would have needs and questions, so I started building relationships with them to help provide answers.”

    Qiao, meanwhile, had already disclosed three of his own inventions before joining the UConn faculty. He advised that maintaining control of intellectual property is crucial, which includes understanding what ideas and concepts lend themselves to business ventures.

    “Good inventions that can be commercialized do not need to be original or very complicated,” Qiao said. “It can be something simple you can start, as long as you can get some protection, and then you can continue to build on that.”

    While the Korey Stringer Institute has many high-profile clients, including the NFL, Casa said that small and medium-sized businesses are more likely to reach out into academic circles to assist with research. Those companies don’t have the capital to invest in their own facilities and staff, so partnering with university researchers is a more practical approach.

    “You have to get out of academic circles into areas where industry is hanging out, then pull them into academic area,” Casa said.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: World Environment Day: Greens demand stronger climate action

    Source: Scottish Greens

    05 Jun 2025 Nature

    It is time to invest in nature, not cut from it.

    More in Nature

    On World Environment Day, Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell has urged the Scottish Government to recommit to real climate and nature action, warning that recent decisions risk undoing vital progress.

    World Environment Day 2025 focuses on ending plastic pollution, one of the most pressing but solvable environmental problems the world faces. Mr Ruskell has highlighted that while tackling plastic pollution is crucial, Scotland must also focus on restoring nature and protecting its unique environment. 

    The Scottish Greens secured the Natural Environment Bill as a cornerstone of their power-sharing Bute House agreement with the SNP. The Bill, currently making its way through the Scottish Parliament, aims to strengthen Scotland’s natural habitats and help reverse the decline in biodiversity. 

    He also raised concerns around the Scottish Government’s commitment to environmental goals following their failure to see through key pledges of a new National Park in Galloway, and concerns that the upcoming Natural Environment Bill doesn’t go far enough.

    Mr Ruskell said:

    “The Natural Environment Bill is a vital step toward rebuilding Scotland’s ecosystems. We pushed for this while we were in Government, with ambitious targets for nature recovery, woodland and peatland creation, and better protection for our marine environments by 2026.

    “However, the Scottish Government’s recent record on climate action sets alarm bells ringing. I am concerned that the Bill as it stands won’t go far enough and could potentially undermine environmental protections.

    “As the Natural Environment Bill makes its way to becoming legislation, the SNP need to decide who they stand with. Is it the rural elites that prioritise private gain over public good or is it those who are fighting to make Scotland a fairer, greener place to live?

    “The recent u-turn on Galloway’s National Park designation was a short-sighted betrayal of the communities who had hoped to see their landscape protected and it won’t be quickly forgotten.

    “With World Environment Day highlighting the urgent need to act on protecting our planet, Scotland must lead by example. We need to invest in nature, not cut from it. The Greens will keep fighting for the bold environmental action our future depends on.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announces addition of 280 electric buses, targets fully electric fleet by 2027

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, marking World Environment Day on Thursday, announced the addition of 280 electric buses to the city’s public transport fleet.

    “We have decided to add 280 electric buses to Delhi’s fleet. By 2027, the entire fleet of buses operated by the Delhi government will be electric,” Gupta said.

    “We are also introducing a new EV policy,” she added.

    Highlighting the safety and comfort features of the new buses, Gupta said,
    “These buses are a tremendous asset for Delhi. They are highly comfortable, equipped with cameras and a panic button. The buses also have a low floor and are air-conditioned.”

    She also criticized past governments for overlooking environmental concerns.

    “Delhi was deprived of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign under the last government. Our target is to plant 70 lakh trees this year,” she said.

    Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav praised the Centre’s efforts to combat vehicular pollution, pointing to the adoption of smart EVs and hydrogen-powered buses.

    “The central government is continuously working to reduce vehicular pollution. This new campaign for smart EVs and hydrogen buses is a huge step in this direction”, he said.

    Yadav also reflected on the national tree-planting campaign.

    “Under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, around 109 crore people planted nearly 140 crore trees yesterday. This year, PM Modi planted a Banyan sapling. Last year, he planted a Peepal sapling. His gift of electric buses to Delhi will surely help purify the air.”

    Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister flagged off 200 electric buses as part of the Delhi government’s sustainable transport initiative.

    Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, CM Rekha Gupta, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, and Delhi Cabinet Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa were present at the event.

    (With inputs from ANI)