Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)
Washington, DC — Last week, Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Randy Feenstra (R-IA) led a letter to United States Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer urging improved market access for American agricultural exports – specifically U.S. ethanol, distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and soybean meal (SBM) – in India.
In their letter, the lawmakers wrote:
India has publicly expressed its willingness to proceed in high-volume agricultural trade negotiations with the U.S., increasing demand for American farmers. The long-term demand opportunity for DDGS alone could be two million metric tons per year valued at $500 million, which would turn into the second largest export market (behind Mexico). For ethanol, India is already our 3rd largest export destination at 170 million gallons valued at $393 million, however further reducing existing market barriers would allow for over $400 million of additional exports. We are encouraged that the United States and India have been making rapid progress so far in negotiations on reciprocal trade, and are hopeful that farmers throughout the United States can benefit from results in the near future related to exports to India of DDGS and SBM, which comply with its strict non-GMO import restrictions.
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President Trump’s America First agenda includes increasing exports of U.S. agriculture products to reduce the trade deficit. Each year, American farmers continue to increase yield per acre with fewer inputs. Since 2010, corn and soybean production have increased by 20 percent and 31 percent, respectively. Unfortunately, commodity prices have dropped by over 30 percent in the past three years, intensifying the need to expand export markets to keep up with increasing supplies. We believe U.S. Ethanol, DDGS, and SBM exports to India represents an easy win for American farmers and will be a terrific way to begin addressing the federal trade deficit through mutually beneficial trade with India.
The letter is supported by the National Corn Growers Association, the American Soybean Association, the Iowa Corn Growers Association, and the Iowa Soybean Association.
This comes as historic advances are made in negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with India, the framework of which was announced by Vice President J.D. Vance and USTR in April. Further, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is slated to travel to India, among other countries, this year in efforts to continue discussions to open new markets for agricultural exports.
Read the full letter here.
Additional members who signed the letter include: Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Derek Schmidt (R-KS), Tony Wied (R-WI), Don Bacon (R-NE), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Mike Flood (R-NE), Ron Estes (R-KS), Mike Carey (R-OH), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Max Miller (R-OH), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Brad Finstad (R-MN), and Mark Messmer (R-IN)
For more than three decades, the Town of Coaldale and Lethbridge County, located within the Malloy Drainage Basin, have experienced destructive floods that can damage homes, businesses and public infrastructure. Together with the St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID), the town and county have been working to address and mitigate the flooding dangers faced by their residents.
Thanks in large part to Alberta government funding, groundbreaking is now underway for a new stormwater management facility that will reduce the risk of overland flooding in the region. This will help protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure in southern Alberta for years to come.
Alberta’s government provided $3.73 million in funding through the Drought and Flood Protection Program to support critical community upgrades, including constructing new stormwater ponds and building a new South Coaldale regional stormwater management facility that will increase regional stormwater capacity and help combat overland flooding.
“This project is an important step toward protecting southern Albertans from future floods. By investing in the right infrastructure today, we’re building a safer, stronger province for generations to come.”
“I am pleased to see work underway for a new facility to help Coaldale manage stormwater effectively and help to keep their homes, businesses and farmland protected. This is a great example of working together to build a more resilient future for the region.”
“For decades, Coaldale has been vulnerable to flooding events that have impacted homes, businesses and essential infrastructure. This new stormwater management facility is a long overdue and much-needed investment in public safety and community resilience. We’re proud to be working alongside our regional partners to deliver a solution that not only protects our residents today, but also positions Coaldale for sustainable growth into the future.”
“We see significant value in this project. This facility is an investment in our communities to keep residents safe and protect the agricultural land that is so critical to the success of our region. By working in partnership with Coaldale and SMRID, we can ensure a lasting and long-term benefit for generations. Regional collaboration is essential to leveraging our collective resources and achieving outcomes that benefit the entire area.”
“The SMRID is thrilled to see the south Coaldale regional stormwater management facility moving forward and are proud to support this important project. The SWMF will benefit the communities in the Malloy Drainage Basin, and southern Alberta more broadly, and play a critical role in flood mitigation in the future. The project exemplifies the spirit of regional partnership and co-operation, and will support the social, environmental and economic objectives of the area and protect homes, property and irrigation infrastructure that is vital to economic prosperity in the region.”
The five-year, $125-million Drought and Flood Protection program is helping municipalities and Indigenous communities protect critical infrastructure from flooding and drought and improve public safety. The next round of funding applications will open in October, with another $25 million available to protect businesses, families and communities.
Quick facts
The new south Coaldale stormwater management facility will help mitigate runoff from a 3,662-hectare rural catchment area during 1:100-year storm events, reducing the risk of future disasters.
The facility will include 100,000 cubic metres of stormwater storage.
The total project cost is estimated at $5.3 million, with $3.73 million being funded through Alberta’s Drought and Flood Protection Program.
Once constructed, the facility will provide significant protection to over 750 residences, roadways, municipal infrastructure and agricultural land.
Construction will begin this spring and is expected to be complete by the fall of 2026.
“Resurrection” Millet – A Plant that Revives after Severe Drought
Contact: ARS Office of Communications, Media Relations Email: ARSPress@usda.gov
Fort Collins, Colo., June 3, 2025 — A new discovery by scientists could help protect crop production and reduce plant mortality due to drought, which accounts for a quarter of U.S. crop production losses.
Water is essential for plants to grow, reproduce, and survive. Drought causes severe stress in plants and can significantly reduce yearly production or kill entire crops. Drought also increases costs for farmers, who must invest in irrigation to keep their crops alive. These impacts and costs result in reduced food supply and higher food prices for consumers.
After years of studying the mechanisms and effects of drought in plants, scientists at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Colorado State University (CSU) identified how plants die during drought and how some of the effects of drought can be reversed. They also discovered a plant species (a wild millet relative) with remarkable resiliency to extreme drought, demonstrating an ability to “resurrect” after acute drought episodes.
Barnyard millet. Getty image.
During severe drought stress, the soil and atmosphere become so arid that liquid water inside the plant changes into water vapor gas. This process, known as embolism formation, results in gas bubble blockages within the water-conducting tissues of the plant. These embolism blockages reduce the transport of water and minerals from the soil [roots] to the leaves, impairing essential processes for the growth, reproduction, and survival of plants.
ARS scientist Sean Gleason and the “resurrection” millet. Photo by CSU Jared Stewart.
Embolism formation was poorly understood in plants because embolisms could not be seen using the types of instrumentation and methodology used in past studies. The team of scientists at ARS and CSU used an innovative method that involved scanning entire plants with a type of laboratory X-Ray machine. The machine allowed them to see water movement through segments of the plant, including stems, roots, and leaves, which enabled the scientists to detect these gas bubble formations, or embolisms, throughout the plant.
“We have discovered that a wild millet relative is capable of reversing embolism formation in the water-conducting tissues,” said Sean Gleason, ARS research plant physiologist at the Water Management and Systems Research Unit in CO. “We call this plant resurrection millet because if the plant is watered even after nearly 100% of the tissue has been embolized, the plant is able to re-fill these embolisms and recover. This study provides the first direct evidence of complete and functional stem xylem ‘refilling’ following severe drought stress. This breakthrough challenges long-standing assumptions about plant hydraulic recovery and has significant implications for crop resilience in water-limited environments.”
Barnyard millet. Getty image.
Troy Ocheltree, a co-author and collaborator with the CSU Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, explained the important implications this study has for both crop improvement and natural grasslands.
“The results suggest that even if plants become severely stressed, they may be able to recover in the same year of the drought and begin growing again,” he said. “This ability impacts the yield of crop production and the amount of forage available for cattle.”
Researchers seek to leverage new technology to transfer the resiliency found in this millet species to other crop species such as wheat, corn, and rice, thus protecting U.S. agriculture.
The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Countries around the world are increasingly turning to nature to help alleviate the impacts of climate change. Forests, grasslands and wetlands are already considered as “natural climate solutions.” Now, some scientists are asking: could kelp forests be part of the solution too?
As some of the fastest growing species on Earth, kelp form lush underwater forests along temperate coastlines. In addition to supporting marine biodiversity, sustaining fisheries and contributing to local economics and livelihoods, kelp forests also absorb carbon. But their role in climate change mitigation remains uncertain.
In the first national assessment of Canada’s kelp forests, our research team set out to estimate how much carbon these ecosystems might be capturing and storing in the ocean, and whether that carbon stays out of the atmosphere long enough to be considered a natural climate solution.
To tackle this question, we assembled a national kelp forest database, including satellite and aerial maps, kelp productivity measurements and ocean current models to estimate how much kelp carbon actually leaves the continental shelf.
This study is part of a national research effort being led by researchers at the University of Victoria called Blue Carbon Canada, which was funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Oceans North and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to investigate how Canada’s “blue carbon” could fit into its national climate mitigation strategy. Our team included 22 kelp researchers and experts from 14 academic institutions, government agencies and NGOs from Canada, the United States and Australia.
The carbon absorbed by trees, peatlands and seagrasses typically gets locked away for decades or longer. However, when kelp dies or breaks apart, instead of storing the carbon in the ground, much of it is released back into the ocean. Depending on the conditions, some of it sinks. Some of it washes back to shore. Some gets eaten and and fuels coastal food webs.
Only a small fraction settles in coastal seafloor sediments or makes it far enough offshore to reach deep water, where it’s more likely to stay out of the atmosphere over the long term. Another fraction decomposes and becomes tiny dissolved particles that can circulate on ocean currents below the mixed layer depth for decades to centuries.
So while protecting and managing kelp forests promotes carbon capture, it may not always directly translate into climate change mitigation.
Our research found that between 40,000 and 400,000 metric tonnes of carbon per year is likely being captured and exported from Canadian kelp forests to the deep ocean. In terms of carbon dioxide removal, this would be at least comparable to more established natural climate solutions carbon ecosystems in Canada, like tidal marshes and seagrasses, suggesting they merit further consideration.
It’s a promising number. But the potential role of kelp in Canada’s climate action plans is far from settled.
Kelp forests have not yet been included in national inventories. However, there has been growing interest in whether better kelp forest management and even restoration could qualify.
Part of the problem is data. Most countries, including Canada, still lack sufficient information on where their kelp forests are, how productive they are, where that carbon is going in the ecosystem and how these dynamics are changing over space and time. As a result, few countries have been able to assess their kelp forests at national scales.
There are also unanswered questions about how much kelp forest loss can be prevented under climate change and how much ecosystem restoration could be scaled up to meaningfully contribute to climate change mitigation. Restoration methods for kelp forests, such as green gravel, are being actively developed but remain largely untested.
Our study provides guidance to help countries overcome some of these challenges. We offer a step-by-step blueprint for developing first kelp carbon estimates from limited data, including data needs and sources and tools for data analysis that acknowledge data uncertainties.
Looking ahead
Managing and protecting kelp forests is likely to be a low-regret option, meaning that while it might not significantly mitigate climate change, its many other benefits would still outweigh the costs. After all, these ecosystems offer a host of benefits, from supporting fisheries to shoreline protection. Given our findings, they may also have the ability to help tackle climate change.
But leaning too heavily on kelp before the science is clear could backfire. Overstating its role in climate change mitigation could lead to misplaced confidence and unrealistic expectations. Worse, it could distract from the most important and immediate task: fossil fuel reductions.
That does not mean kelp’s climate solutions potential should be dismissed. At present, it’s thought that kelp forests and other algae capture and store around 175 million tonnes annually, maybe more given recent research.
But Canada needs to proceed carefully and invest in closing key knowledge gaps before scaling up plans to include kelp in national carbon accounting. This includes greater public investment in kelp forest mapping, monitoring, high resolution oceanographic modelling and ground-truthing of national estimates.
Overall, a precautionary approach is needed to ensure we don’t miss out on future kelp solutions. That’s because even as interest in kelp grows, these ecosystems are disappearing in many places.
Kelp restoration methods, like green gravel shown here from the Kelp Rescue Initiative in B.C., are advancing but still in their infancy. (Lauren Dykman/University of Victoria)
In British Columbia, kelp forests have declined in recent decades due to climate change-fuelled marine heatwaves and population booms of sea urchins, which graze on kelp.
Similar trends have been documented in many parts of the world, from Norway to Tasmania, where lush kelp forests are being replaced by weedy turf algae.
When kelp forests are lost, the carbon they hold can be released quickly. Export of kelp carbon to the deep ocean and other carbon sinks stops. So instead of helping to slow climate change, their loss could make things much worse.
Kelp forests will not solve the climate crisis on their own. But our research shows they could be apart of the solution, especially if we act now to fill critical research gaps.
Today, the most immediate value of kelp forests lies in supporting marine biodiversity, coastal fisheries, and community livelihoods. That alone makes them worth saving.
Jennifer McHenry receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO),and Oceans North.
Julia K. Baum receives funding from NSERC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Oceans North. She is also affiliated as a science advisor with the Kelp Rescue Initiative.
Headline: Governor Josh Stein Announces Western North Carolinians to Join Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina
Governor Josh Stein Announces Western North Carolinians to Join Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina lsaito
Raleigh, NC
(RALEIGH) Governor Josh Stein today announced two western North Carolinians who will join the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) and play a key role in Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
“I am committed to bringing leaders to the GROW NC team who will prioritize urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability to help rebuild western North Carolina,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I welcome to the team Sharon Decker, a former Secretary of Commerce, to serve as a Senior Advisor, and Forrest Gilliam, a former Madison County manager and legislative liaison, as Legislative Director. I am grateful for their continued service to the people of western North Carolina.”
“My team and I are determined to help western North Carolina rebuild and recover as quickly as possible,” said Matt Calabria, GROW NC Director. “I am excited to continue building our team with these highly qualified professionals who have deep roots in western North Carolina.”
“The devastation has been horrific, but the fortitude and perseverance of western North Carolinians is extraordinary,” said Sharon Decker. “We will come back, and better than before. A strong plan, with actionable steps built on improved health care, more available and affordable housing, a strong education network across the region, planned economic development, strengthened infrastructure, and collaborative community engagement is essential for ensuring our recovery leads us on a sure path for the future.”
Sharon Decker, Senior Advisor for Long-Term Recovery
Sharon Decker and her nonprofit Tapestry Collaborative will contract with GROW NC to lead a collaborative effort that produces a framework and plan for long-term economic recovery as the region rebuilds. She will serve as an advisor to the Governor, GROW NC, and the Department of Commerce on long-term economic recovery, and will liaise with public, private, and social sector institutions to identify opportunities for cross-sector partnerships that advance recovery efforts. GROW NC and the Governor’s Office appreciate the support of philanthropies partnering with the state to engage Decker and her team, whose expertise and experience will help foster economic growth and help pursue opportunities to accelerate recovery.
A native of North Carolina, Sharon Decker has held leadership roles in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors across the state. She spent 17 years at Duke Power (now Duke Energy), becoming its first female Vice President. Her career also includes leadership at The Lynnwood Foundation, The Tapestry Group, and western North Carolina companies, including Doncaster and Tryon International.
In 2013, she was appointed Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce by Governor Pat McCrory, where she led the creation of The Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). Since 2019, Sharon has served as President of Tryon International. She and her husband, Bob, live in Polk County and remain based in Western North Carolina.
Forrest Gilliam, Legislative Director for GROW NC
Forrest Gilliam will join GROW NC as Legislative Director. With nearly two decades of experience across all levels of government, Forrest Gilliam’s career includes work on Capitol Hill for Congressman Heath Shuler, as a legislative and committee assistant at the North Carolina General Assembly for Representative Ray Rapp, as a member of Governor Bev Perdue’s legislative affairs team, and as director of the Governor’s Western Regional Office. In local government, Forrest served five years as county manager for Madison County. Since 2020, Forrest has contracted with the Town of Marshall as a town administrator, where he has focused on efforts to successfully secure funding for water and sewer infrastructure, with a recent focus on Hurricane Helene response and recovery. Raised in Madison County, Forrest’s involvement in civic affairs began in middle school when he helped secure state funding for a new public library. Forrest holds a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Public Management from Appalachian State University.
Decker and Gilliam join colleagues from across western North Carolina and Raleigh who serve to facilitate collaboration, streamline communication, and accelerate recovery from Hurricane Helene. The work of this team is guided by Governor Stein with an emphasis on urgency, focus, transparency, and accountability.
MELBOURNE, Fla., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orion180, a leading provider of innovative insurance solutions, today announced the availability of its Residential Private Flood Insurance in Florida. Designed to provide fair, competitive, and comprehensive coverage, Orion180’s flood insurance solution leverages advanced risk analysis and customizable policy options to offer homeowners a smarter alternative to traditional options.
Despite rising sea levels and increased hurricane frequency causing more flooding in Florida, only about 12% of Florida’s nine million properties had flood insurance as of June 2024—leaving a vast majority of homeowners financially vulnerable. These environmental changes have led to residential flooding extending beyond traditionally high-risk zones, with approximately 25% of all flood claims nationwide now coming from moderate- to low-risk areas.
With low coverage rates, high premiums, and increasing flood risks, Florida homeowners need a reliable and accessible insurance solution that provides adequate protection without unnecessary hurdles. Orion180 goes beyond Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps, as their data-driven underwriting incorporates advanced third-party flood mapping and property-specific risk assessments, ensuring more accurate pricing and better protection for policyholders. With competitive pricing and a seamless, digital-first experience, Orion180 is making flood insurance more accessible, flexible, and beneficial for Florida homeowners.
Key Benefits of Orion180’s Residential Private Flood Insurance include:
Comprehensive Coverage: Offers up to $1M in building coverage with a 10-day or less waiting period, far exceeding many traditional flood insurance policies like the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) managed by FEMA, which only offers up to $250,000 with a 30-day waiting period.
No Elevation Certificate Required: Most homeowners can secure coverage without additional paperwork or home inspections.
Mortgage-approved: Policies meet FMAC and FNMA guidelines, ensuring seamless acceptance by mortgage lenders.
Additional Policy Enhancements: Includes loss of use, personal property replacement cost, water backup/sump pump overflow coverage, swimming pool cleanup/repair, and debris removal, among other benefits.
Expanded Zone Coverage: Covers all flood zones (X, A, & V) to provide protection where it’s needed most.
“Flooding is a growing concern for homeowners in Florida, and too often, people find themselves underinsured or facing expensive policies with limited options,” said Ken Gregg, CEO of Orion180. “Our goal is to simplify the process, offer more competitive rates, and provide homeowners with superior protection that aligns with their actual risk—not just their zip code.”
Homeowners can purchase Orion180’s Residential Private Flood Insurance as a standalone policy in Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee or as an add-on to their existing Orion180 surplus lines home insurance in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit Orion180.com/flood.
About Orion180 Orion180 is a technology-driven and customer-centric insurance brand that combines proprietary technology, real-time data, and straightforward underwriting practices to provide a seamless and premier insurance experience. Orion180 operates through Orion180 Insurance Co., a surplus lines insurance company serving Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Colorado (Flood only), Tennessee (Flood only), Illinois (Flood only) and Arizona, and Orion180 Select Insurance Co., an admitted insurance company offering coverage in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Ohio. With its proprietary MY180 platform and third-party integrations, Orion180 offers unmatched efficiency and innovation, fulfilling its vision of becoming the global leader in insurance solutions while maintaining its mission to deliver superior customer experiences and a comprehensive suite of products. Connect with Orion180 on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TruthSocial, and YouTube. For more information, visit www.Orion180.com.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Reforms to bolster flood protection for communities across the country
Delivering on the government’s Plan for Change, proposals will introduce a simplified approach benefitting poorer communities and speeding up project delivery
A photo of flood defences on a beach
New proposals to accelerate the construction of flood schemes and protect thousands of homes and businesses in the nation’s cities and rural areas from the risks of flooding have been unveiled today (Tuesday 3 June) by Floods Minister Emma Hardy.
A simpler, transparent approach will replace the current complex and labour-intensive process of applying for funding, which disproportionately affects councils with less resources.
The proposals will make it easier for authorities, including councils, to bid for central government funding. This will benefit poorer councils who have less resource to commit to the application process.
They will also ensure money is distributed more effectively across the country – including for rural and coastal communities.
And faster applications will help speed up delivery of vital schemes – crucial to boosting the country’s preparedness for extreme weather events.
Established more than a decade ago under the previous government, the existing outdated formula for distributing money to proposed flood defences is complicated, slows down applications and neglects more innovative approaches such as natural flood management.
Speaking at the Flood & Coast Conference in Telford, Minister Hardy outlined fresh proposals to replace this system and introduce a simple, flexible and strategic approach to investment in flood resilience projects.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:
Councils have struggled for years with securing money for flood defences due to a complex and archaic application process. Dealing with the impacts of flooding gets in the way of growth for businesses and can be devastating for hard-working families.
That is why, as part of our Plan for Change, this Government is reforming how flood funds are distributed to protect businesses, rural and coastal communities as we invest over £2.65 billion in flood defences across the country.
Minister Hardy set out how the government will fully fund the first £3 million of proposed flood and coastal erosion projects, giving a crucial boost to schemes. For remaining costs above this, schemes would only need to secure 10% of the remaining costs from other sources, such as private investment, as the government would cover the rest. This approach would mean more schemes will see their funding gaps filled and stop local communities needing to secure more funding themselves.
The consultation – which opens today – will also seek views on how projects are prioritised each year for delivery, such as on their value for money or whether certain outcomes should be bolstered, such as for flood resilience in deprived communities or the level of private funding raised.
Delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change, these proposals will help boost economic growth, by empowering businesses to inject money into local areas and thereby creating more jobs.
Environment Agency Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Caroline Douglass said:
Better protecting communities in England from the devastating impacts of flooding is one of our top priorities as climate change brings more extreme weather.
We support the government’s bold strategic vision to transform the approach to investment in resilience to flood and coastal erosion, helping to streamline the delivery of flood schemes and improve existing assets to protect communities better.
The consultation also outlines plans to mainstream investment in natural flood management, which uses nature to reduce the risk of flooding, while also providing wider benefits such as improved water quality, vital habitats for wildlife and increased access to nature. This will help boost protection for rural communities, with dozens of projects under the Government’s Natural Flood Management programme already achieving this.
It also considers how communities can make better use of property flood resilience measures, such as flood doors or smart air bricks. These items help prevent water from entering a property or reduce the amount of floodwater that enters during significant flooding.
Climate professionals, people who work in roles which address climate change, are often criticised for what they eat or how they travel. Criticism of lifestyle choices by colleagues, family members or even strangers can be demotivating. Worse, it can hinder efforts towards building a sustainable future.
As more people start working in sustainability, both in traditional sectors such as climate researchers or public health professionals and within other workspaces where sustainability is embedded into an existing role, this type of criticism is in danger of becoming more familiar.
Climate change affects everyone, whether we like to admit it or not. It can be overwhelming to know how best to act on all the advice about living more sustainably. In fact, increased knowledge about what is necessary for a sustainable lifestyle can be paralysing, and prevent someone from taking action.
Of course, many of us do want to live more sustainably. But some people may feel restricted by the efforts and costs of taking these extra steps to change multiple aspects of our busy daily lives.
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Instead of revamping our own lifestyles, it can be easier to challenge those recommending these changes to our behaviour, to see if they are following their own rules.
Climate professionals know which choices are best for the environment. But when you see one of them flying to a UN climate summit, drinking from a plastic water bottle or caught red-handed eating a beef burger, how do you feel? Confused? Vindicated? Perhaps, relief? If the very people who are advising us how to live sustainably aren’t practising what they preach, does this absolve us of responsibility to act?
Whether intentional or not, holding climate professionals to unrealistic standards is a tactic which delays effective climate action. It slows down climate action by redirecting responsibility and foregrounding low-impact solutions.
Calling out the failure of climate professionals can emphasise the difficulties of sustainable living and reinforce the idea that slowing down climate change is impossible. You may think that these imperfections are a reflection on their hypocrisy and limits the integrity of their work. In reality, it’s an indication that we are all people operating in a broken system, no matter our expertise.
The report found that a system in which governments and businesses support and normalise sustainable behaviour would be far more effective than the weight of individuals taking action alone. And so, as a society, we need to value the work of those advocating for systems change, rather than scrutinising their lifestyle choices.
Ultimately, rich nations, wealthy people and fossil fuel companies are disproportionately to blame for climate change. However, their preferred narrative concerning the importance of individual action, rather than system change, prevails.
And this is nothing new. BP popularised the concept of a carbon footprint over 20 years ago. This displaced responsibility for environmental impact from large organisations and systems and towards citizens.
While people tend to view the impact of climate change as relevant to them, they may not be able to envisage a greener future. This is because people tend to focus on immediate effects rather than longer term outcomes. Short-term environmental policies can fuel this short-term thinking, preventing us from conceptualising a future that recovers from climate change.
Quick climate dictionary: the meaning of a carbon footprint.
Change from within the system
It’s easier to blame climate professionals for not sticking to their own advice, than to think about change at a higher level. But climate professionals must be part of the system to change the system, much to their frustration.
In fact, climate researchers like us actually fly more than researchers in other fields, because structural factors such as limited funding, accessibility of locations and professional pressures matter more than individual attitudes for reducing flights. How can we expect all the necessary voices to be at the table during international climate conferences if flying is the only feasible way for many to attend?
Some climate professionals do lead very impressive sustainable lifestyles. We should celebrate these efforts. But we need to dispel the expectation that all climate professionals have the resources to act the same within a broken system.
Remember, climate professionals are working towards a system which empowers all citizens to choose these sustainable lifestyles, including their own. For instance, some researchers are studying the positive climate impact of protected cycle lanes, producing evidence in support of their construction in cities worldwide.
Imagine if public transport and active travel were the most obvious choice for everyone. If you wanted to drive, then you would have to meticulously plan a route incorporating private transport lanes, or be prepared to adapt if they don’t exist. Which would you choose?
Climate professionals are experiencing a whole spectrum of emotions related to climate change, including feeling stuck between what they say and what they do. Focusing on their personal behaviour risks discrediting and devaluing important climate-focused work.
This can detract from valuable conversations about the urgent need for wider systemic change. The next time you speak to a climate professional, try not to catch them out. Instead, ask about their work and its influence on changing the system – we guarantee they will be more receptive.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The UK government recently announced plans to fund five small-scale trials related to geoengineering. It’s the first time a state research funding body has put serious money into what’s known as solar radiation management, or SRM, which seeks to cool the planet by reflecting more of the Sun’s energy back into space.
It’s easy to see why countries have been so hesitant to proceed with projects of this nature: SRM is highly controversial, even among scientists.
Deliberately altering the atmosphere, a shared global resource, is fraught with ethical, geopolitical and practical problems. It is and always has been a crazy idea.
However, many consider the failure to control carbon emissions means not intervening in this way is an even crazier idea. They consider it necessary to avert the collapse of ecosystems and society. Perhaps solar geoengineering is the price we must pay for our wholly inadequate climate change response to date.
The good news is that SRM may be able to deliver some progress relatively quickly. Earth has become slightly less reflective over the past few decades. That’s mostly thanks to reduced cloud cover (warmer oceans cause clouds above them to evaporate), but also thanks to less snow and ice, and a significant reduction in nasty-but-reflective shipping fuel pollutants.
By my calculations (based on data from US climate scientist James Hansen), this reduction in the reflectivity of Earth has caused as much warming as the 750 gigatonnes of CO₂ emitted since 2005. And while it will take decades to achieve significant global cooling through decarbonisation, it can be achieved relatively quickly by small increases in reflectivity.
Of the 21 projects being funded by Aria, the UK government’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency, five are likely to involve small-scale outdoor experiments. They account for about half the £57 million programme.
Three of the projects concern brightening clouds over the ocean, one explores a method of refreezing the Arctic and the fifth looks at a specific detail of injecting reflective aerosols into the stratosphere.
The other projects concern how to govern these technologies and model and monitor their effects. They could also yield insights vital for securing the public and governmental support necessary if these technologies are ever to be deployed on a much larger scale.
Marine cloud brightening
Marine cloud brightening seeks to make clouds over the ocean more reflective. This is done by turning seawater into an aerosol spray and allowing air currents to loft salt crystals into the clouds, where they enhance the creation of reflective water droplets.
Clouds above the ocean could become a key battleground in the fight against climate change. G_O_S / shutterstock
The greatest challenge with this method is making enough seawater mist in which the droplets are of a uniform size, about 1 micron in diameter. The Reflect project led by the University of Manchester has received £6.1 million to explore “the technical feasibility and optimal methods” for generating these droplets.
A team from the University of Reading has developed a process using drones to fire electric charges through fog to alter the size of its water droplets. Their Brightspark project has been awarded £2 million to determine whether this process would be viable and safe if applied to clouds. A second phase involving small-scale testing in the UK is contingent on further approval by Aria.
Daniel Harrison, an oceanographer at Southern Cross University in Australia, has been researching marine cloud brightening for several years for the limited purpose of protecting the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. Preliminary results are positive.
His previous work will be extended to assess if, and how, marine cloud brightening could work safely and effectively, but still only as a regional intermittent intervention to protect coral from marine heatwaves.
This will also be a two-phase project (£1 million and £5 million respectively) in which the research will initially deal with modelling and spray design. Subject to further approvals, it will then test the newfound knowledge over the Great Barrier Reef.
The remaining two projects are both from teams led by the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge University (I’m an associate researcher of the centre but I have no involvement in either of these projects).
Arctic refreezing
Engineer Shaun Fitzgerald has been awarded £9.9 million to extend an existing research project to examine the feasibility of thickening Arctic sea ice by pumping seawater from below the ice on to the surface, where it freezes. The idea is to increase the extent and thickness of sea ice in winter so that it endures longer through the summer.
Thicker, longer-lasting sea ice may help keep global warming in check. Mozgova / shutterstock
The project also includes modelling to assess the impact this would have on a range of climate phenomena. Most significantly, this includes the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, an ocean current that some fear is in imminent danger of weakening sufficiently to bring Siberian winters to north-west Europe.
Stratospheric aerosol injection
The final project being funded looks at the injection of aerosols into the stratosphere – higher than clouds – where they would reflect a little of the Sun’s energy back to space.
Many regard this as the form of geoengineering most likely to happen. It is the most studied, as it replicates the natural cooling effect of certain big volcanic eruptions that put massive amounts of sulphate-based aerosols into the stratosphere. Scaling it to be climatically significant is thought to be relatively straightforward, and would probably be the cheapest cooling option.
One significant concern is the health and environmental impact of these aerosols as they fall back to the planet’s surface. Hugh Hunt, also an engineering professor at Cambridge, has been awarded £5.5 million to examine a range of alternative aerosol compounds. 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.
A small step towards something much bigger
Aria is treading a fine line with this programme.
On the one hand, the organisation recognises that further interventions might be needed to mitigate the harm from the continuing failure to phase out fossil fuels. On the other, it recognises how controversial such interventions are. It is clearly anxious not to provoke a public furore that could undermine the research effort.
In isolation, it is unlikely that this programme will fill any knowledge gaps that might encourage policymakers to push climate intervention up the international agenda. What it could demonstrate, however, is that with appropriate controls in place, it is safe to test these options.
Perhaps the next funding round will support bigger outdoor experiments. These would help determine which technologies can eventually become the safe and effective climate interventions we desperately need.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Robert Chris 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.
Geneva, Switzerland, 2 June 2025 – The inaugural Global Early Warnings for All Multi-Stakeholder Forum opened today with a resounding call to accelerate the implementation of life-saving early warning systems worldwide. Co-led by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the forum brings together governments, international organizations, civil society, private sector actors, and communities to advance the UN Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.
As part of the preparatory days for the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, the two-day forum aims to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems by the end of 2027. With disasters projected to increase by 40% between 2015 and 2030, and economic losses from disasters in 2023 estimated at $250 billion, the urgency for effective early warning systems has never been greater.
The forum’s opening session featured a comprehensive stock-take of global early warning system progress, highlighting that 108 countries report that they have multi-hazard early warning systems. Building on outcomes from five regional Early Warnings for All Multi-Stakeholder Fora held across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe & Central Asia, the Americas & Caribbean, and Arab States, the global gathering captures lessons learned and identifies pathways to close remaining gaps.
Community-centered approaches and innovation at the forefront
Graphic recording of thematic session on community empowerment.
The forum’s first day emphasized the critical importance of people-centered approaches to early warning systems. Thematic sessions explored how communities can be empowered through user-tailored early warnings and early action, with particular attention to the unique challenges faced in fragile and conflict settings.
Mr. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, reinforced this message, stating, “Leave no one behind comes very important in the context of early warning systems. Women, children and persons with disabilities are not passive recipients of services, they are active participants.”
Participants examined effective governance models that support multi-hazard early warning systems, recognizing that successful implementation requires institutionalized chains of responsibility and multi-stakeholder engagement including South-South and Triangular Cooperation mechanisms. The forum highlighted that early warning systems are strongest when at-risk communities and sectors co-develop and co-own these systems, ensuring trust, timely action, and long-term sustainability.
Innovation emerged as a key theme, with experts showcasing how science, technology, and local knowledge can advance multi-hazard early warning systems. Discussions covered the integration of artificial intelligence, satellite systems, Information of Things (IoT) technologies, and traditional knowledge systems to enhance forecasting accuracy and improve warning dissemination to vulnerable populations.
Ambassador Julien Thöni, Deputy Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations and other Organisations in Geneva, highlighted the dual nature of innovation: “Early Warning Systems can go hand-in-hand with innovation. New technologies from satellite data to mobile alerts help us predict more accurately and reach people faster. But innovation also means finding smarter ways to work together, adapt to local needs, and make sure no one is left behind.”
Building partnerships for resilient futures
Graphic recording of opening session & stock take on collaborative action and multilateralism.
The forum underscored that no single entity can build and maintain effective early warning systems alone. Participants emphasized the need for stronger partnerships across sectors, levels of government, and international boundaries to achieve Early Warnings for All, by All.
Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization, emphasized the critical importance of collaboration: “No warning, however early, is effective unless it reaches the right people at the right time. And that is why we are here today. To cement our partnerships and trust which are essential to early action…Alone we can do very little. But together, we can do so much.”
Early warning systems provide a ten-fold return on investment and are recognized as among the most cost-effective adaptation measures. However, their full socio-economic benefits remain under-documented, highlighting the need for better evidence and advocacy to scale up investments.
The forum’s diverse organizing committee, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the CREWS Secretariat, the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Food Programme (WFP), Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM), the Global Network of Civil Society for Disaster Reduction (GNDR), and the Executive Office of the Secretary-General Climate Action Team, reflects the multi-stakeholder approach essential for success.
Path forward: cooperation and finance
Graphic recording of session on effective governance to support multi-hazard early warning systems.
As the Forum continues, participants will focus on accelerating Early Warnings for All through international, regional and national cooperation and partnerships, alongside solutions for scaling and sustaining investments in multi-hazard early warning systems and building resident capacity.
The Forum will produce an outcome statement sharing overarching needs and priorities, as well as emerging opportunities identified by participants at the global level. These outcomes will feed directly into the Global Platform’s thematic session on early warnings and early action.
With Target G of the Sendai Framework calling for substantial increases in the availability and access to multi-hazard early warning systems, the Global Early Warnings for All Multi-Stakeholder Forum represents a critical milestone in the journey toward universal protection from disasters.
The Global Early Warnings for All Multi-Stakeholder Forum continues on 3 June 2025, focusing on international cooperation and financing solutions for early warning systems.
The 8th Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 (GPDRR2025) began with preparatory events on Monday, 2 June, ahead of the upcoming official programme with highlevel meetings from 4-6 June in Geneva, Switzerland. GPDRR 2025 is organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and hosted by the Government of Switzerland. Two parallel events took place on Monday: the Third Stakeholder Forum and the Global Early Warning for All (EW4All) MultiStakeholder Forum.
Third Stakeholder Forum
Opening
The Third Stakeholder Forum opened with statements by the Governments of Switzerland and Indonesia and senior UN leaders under the theme “United for Resilience.” Speakers highlighted progress on the Bali Agenda for Resilience, an outcome of the 7th Global Platform in 2022, and the opportunities for inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Mirjam Macchi, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, appreciated stakeholders’ solidarity around the evacuation and assistance to the historic village of Blatten, destroyed last week by a glacial landslide 200 km from Geneva. She noted that even livestock were cared for-a powerful reminder that “resilience begins with local people” and inclusive solutions are more effective when those directly affected by disasters bring vital knowledge to action.
Achsanul Habib, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN, reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to risk-informed policies and inclusive approaches. He encouraged all participants to use the Stakeholder Forum as “not only a platform to listen and share, but a platform to act together.”
The event also showcased the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments online platform (SFVC), where stakeholders can register their commitments, and users can identify areas of activity as well as gaps. Yuki Matsuoka, Head, UNDRR Office in Japan, noted that 729 individual organizations so far have registered their commitments.
Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organisation
Whole-of-society approach for the Sendai Framework on DRR: A collective responsibility
Sarah Wade-Apicella, UNDRR, moderated the session. On effective methods to implement inclusive DRR, Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability, underscored the need for people with disabilities to be involved early in co-development of disaster risk strategies, and for foresight processes to incorporate diverse voices. Major Hamad Sabah Al-Sawar, Director of Crisis and Disaster Management, Bahrain, described Bahrain’s communication platform providing diverse modes of information sharing in multiple languages, the use of a phone application, and a common hashtag used to mobilize public action.
On intersectional and intergenerational knowledge sharing, Tom Colley, HelpAge International, drew attention to the wide network of older people associations worldwide as opportunities to engage this age group in DRR. He noted these associations can also harness and serve as channels for bringing Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge into DRR strategies. Barrise Griffin, Disaster Risk Management Authority, The Bahamas, emphasized moving away from one-off, extractive approaches to information gathering, and instead facilitating ongoing dialogue. Josefina Miculax Sincal, Huairou Commission, called for frameworks and trainings to strengthen good practices at the community level.
A slide showing the numbers of internal displacement by hazard for 2015- 2024.
Participants then heard comments and questions from the floor on the role of national DRR platforms in community-level participation, engagement, and school programs for children; managing conflicts of interest; looking beyond immediate impacts of DRR; measuring the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement; shifting risk ownership to local communities to handle disasters; and securing resources.
Data and financing for disaster displacement as loss and damage
Steven Goldfinch, Asian Development Bank (ADB), moderated this session.
Christelle Cazabat, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, explained that research into Hurricane Milton’s impacts in the US shows how people’s aspirations change when displacement stretches into the long term. She noted 2024 saw the highest number of people displaced in a single year globally (45.8 million), as well as the highest number of people continuing to live in displacement (9.8 million).
Noralene Uy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines, noted that her country ensures children have access to child-friendly spaces during displacement, and that national protocols guide national and local assessments and reporting. Isoa Talemaibua, Ministry for Maritime and Rural Development, Fiji, highlighted Fiji’s risk assessment activities and stressed the value of financial tools such as green and blue bonds, and parametric insurance that enables rapid payouts based on environmental triggers.
Hoang Phuong Thao, ActionAid Vietnam, highlighted the organization’s work with marginalized and remote communities to use smartphones for receiving early warnings, as well as for reporting on local conditions, thereby informing the government’s trend analysis. Catalina Díaz Escobar, Corporación Antioquia Presente, emphasized that data collection itself is a political process and should be conducted in an ethical and respectful manner.
From Paris to Sendai: the fundamental connection of climate and DRR
Jamie Cummings, Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism, moderated the session. Animesh Kumar, UNDRR, underlined that risk is a common denominator across the Sendai Framework, Paris Agreement, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stating that all these global frameworks share the goal of resilience. He encouraged the institutionalization of the agreements at the national level and highlighted the need to localize them. On technical assistance, he stressed that funding applications under the Santiago Network -a mechanism to support countries recovering from loss and damage due to climate change -should be designed to catalyze downstream impacts. Hisan Hassan, National Disaster Management Authority, Maldives, described his country’s focus on EW4All and slow-onset losses. Manon Robin, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, discussed integration of national adaptation plans and DRR strategies and emphasized, supported by Le-Anne Roper, UNDRR, the need to focus on coordinating actors on different aspects of climate resilience. Amber Fletcher, University of Regina, emphasized that slow-onset disaster management and funding are crucial for food producers, and stressed the significance of non-economic loss and damage.
View of the panel during the “From Paris to Sendai: the Fundamental Connection of Climate and DRR” event.
Innovative financing and private sector leadership in DRR
Camila Tapias, UNDRR ARISE Global Board Member, moderated the session. Manisha Gulati, ODI Global, noted that most funding goes toward emergency response after disasters occur. She highlighted that when the private sector invests in critical services, DRR becomes an outcome, not only a target.
Yezid Niño, Private Sector Liaison, UNDRR Americas, emphasized the relevance of understanding that DRR is part of the development of the countries and pointed toward the role of regulatory frameworks in involving the private sector in financing DRR. Terry Kinyua, Co-Chair of the ARISE Global Board, stressed that the resilience of communities amounts to the resilience of a country.
Through digital interaction, attendees identified cost-benefit analysis, data gaps, and trust as the major barriers to private sector investment in DRR. Among the actions leaders can take to accelerate investment in resilience, attendees mentioned political incentives, regulatory alignment, resilience as a national priority, and the involvement of local leaders.
View of the panel during the “Innovative Financing and Private Sector Leadership in DRR” event.
Implementation of climate and DRR gender action plans at the national level-Synergies and strategies
Mwanahamisi Singano, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), moderated this panel discussion unpacking synergies between the different Gender Action Plans (GAPs) under multiple conventions and frameworks, including the Sendai GAP. She noted the need to avoid duplication and ensure cost effectiveness.
Mary Picard, Humanitarian and Development Consulting, gave a keynote address describing the actions leading to the launch of the Sendai GAP in 2024. Panelists mentioned key lessons from their experiences with governments in implementing the GAPs, including the challenge of competing priorities and political preferences among different ministries when attempting to coordinate the different GAPs. Other interventions focused on holding governments and agencies accountable for implementing GAPs and enhancing communication among women’s networks, particularly those involved in DRR. Following interventions on regional mapping tools and GAP observatories that monitor implementation progress, Singano invited participants to provide inputs towards developing a universal DRR gender equality observatory.
Community-led action for resilience, building partnerships for inclusive action
Maité Rodríguez, Fundación Guatemala, moderated this session. The panel featured grassroot women leaders and related international organizations. Godavari Dange, Swayam Shikshan Prayog, a women-led organization of farmer-producers, highlighted women farmers’ work in drought preparedness to cultivate and stockpile animal fodder. She also highlighted technology training conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic for women to use online platforms. Norma Choc Botzoc, Community Practitioners’ Platform for Resilience in Guatemala, described grassroot women’s own development of risk and vulnerability assessments, which, she noted, are being used as tools for advocacy to local authorities to direct resources appropriately. Speakers from ADB and the Centre for Coordination of Disasters in Central America and the Dominican Republic (CEPREDENAC) affirmed the central importance of cooperation and co-design of programs for climate resilience and recovery after disasters.
Disaster preparedness and risk reduction in urban areas—Building back better
Ladeene Freimuth, The Freimuth Group, moderated the session. Guilherme Simões, National Secretary for Peripheries, Ministry of Cities, Brazil, outlined the Live Peripheries program, which provides access to better urban infrastructure, social services, and opportunities; and the Peripheries Without Risk strategy, a community-based risk reduction and climate adaptation plan.
Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability, highlighted EWS as one of the best-proven and cost-effective methods for reducing disaster deaths and losses. She drew attention to “Infinite Access,” a communication platform designed to deliver emergency alerts in multiple accessible formats.
Mario Flores, Habitat for Humanity International, discussed the challenges and opportunities of urban environments, stressing the need to build better in the first place; to have risk-informed development; and to consider housing as a platform for a peoplecentered resilience approach.
Debbra Johnson, ARISE-US Network, addressed the report “Navigating the sustainability-resilience nexus,” which brings together the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and the DRR Sendai Framework.
Breaking the DRR financing silos: A systematic shift in DRR financing for localization of inclusive resilience
Camila Tapias, UNDRR ARISE Global Board Member, moderated the session. Noting that financial capital existed but is not reaching local levels, Tanjir Hossain, Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism, called for breaking down silos so funding is not sitting around while millions of people suffer. Steve Goldfinch, ADB, described the National Disaster Management Fund of Pakistan that finances projects with high economic benefits using a 70% – 30% funding model from provincial governments. He also highlighted the National Disaster Risk Management Fund of the Philippines that encourage local governments to invest in disaster response, relief, preparedness and risk reduction measures. Emma Haight, UNDRR Investor Advisory Board, described the adoption of a green sewer design, first developed in Washington DC, which proved so successful that the design was replicated in London, UK, Cape Town, South Africa, and Quito, Ecuador, highlighting its environmental and financial risk reduction, and over USD 200 million in cost savings. Michelle Chivunga, Global Policy House, discussed using artificial intelligence to shift DRR responses, optimize data utilization in local governments, track and mobilize funding, and to use digital capital during humanitarian crisis to make up for funding shortfalls. Sara Hoeflich, United Cities and Local Government, recommended investment in basic services such as water supply, street cleaning, and sewer solutions to ensure clean cities as an investment and risk mitigation measure. Marcos Concepción Raba, Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction, discussed effective localization.
Global Early Warning for All (EW4All) Multistakeholder Forum
Opening
Julien Thöni, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Switzerland, said timely early warning action should provide critical time to act and respond, and noted that innovation better predicts and reaches people faster. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), suggested key criteria for improving early warning systems (EWS), including that science must connect people; and systems and partnerships must include actors “outside the DRR tent,” especially those most at risk. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of UNDRR, said EWS should not be regarded as a once-off intervention. He said national ownership must be strengthened, and the concept of leaving no one behind should be embedded into all efforts. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, via video, suggested EWS is the most basic tool for saving and protecting lives, and called for high-level political support, a boost in technology access, and public and private finance at scale.
Fireside chat: The state of EWS
Johan Stander, WMO, drew attention to national ownership, stakeholder engagement, and the involvement of funding partners when investing in EW4All. Sujit Kumar Mohanty, Chief of Branch, UNDRR, emphasized co-design and co-ownership approaches to meaningfully engage stakeholders for successful EW4All.
Good practices: Stakeholder perspectives on EWS
Interventions during this panel session included: calls to integrate women and youth in all decisions focused on EWS; investing in women’s leadership, particularly those with disabilities; ensuring young people are equitably involved; reaching those living in remote rural areas and conflict zones; and leveraging the communication power of mobile networks through private-public partnerships.
UNDRR Disability Leaders gather at the end of the day.
Perspectives from across regions on EWS
Panelists in this session focused on: successful collaboration and EWS progress in Zimbabwe after the 2019 Cyclone Idai; institutionalization of the community-based approach to EWS in Barbados; main challenges to integrate scientific tools and remote sensing into EWS in Lebanon; integration of the private sector in EWS decision-making process in Makati, the Philippines; and the role of cross-border cooperation, knowledge sharing, and educating people for effective EWS in Poland.
Thematic Sessions
Four thematic sessions took place during the day. These were:
The CO2 emission performance standards regulation only concerns new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles . Heritage vehicles are therefore not affected by this regulation.
The European Climate Law[1] concerns the overall EU greenhouse gas emissions. Since mobile heritage only represent an extremely small part of the existing stock, the economy-wide emissions reduction objectives are unlikely to affect those.
The Commission is committed to provide support to European industries, which are currently faced with high energy costs and fierce global competition.
The Clean Industrial Deal Communication[2] outlines concrete actions to turn decarbonisation into a driver of competitiveness. Specifically for the European automotive sector, the Commission has recently adopted an industrial plan[3], aimed to tackle the challenges caused by rapid technological changes and increasing competition.
The automotive industry is a core engine of European prosperity and an essential part of Europe’s identity. The EU is committed to safeguarding and enhancing Europe’s industrial and mobile heritage through a number of policies and programmes.
The green taxation reform is a key element of Cyprus’ recovery and resilience plan[1]. It aims to internalise environmental externalities, encouraging more efficient use of resources and incentivising the adoption of renewable energy.
This is crucial in Cyprus where carbon prices and municipal waste recycling lag behind the rest of Europe, and water scarcity is a challenge.
The green taxation reform includes a carbon tax, which constitutes a transition towards the Emissions Trading System applicable from 2027 to buildings and road transport, a levy on water and a charge on landfill waste, both of which will be incrementally increased.
As regards the taxation of motor and heating fuels, and of electricity, in the recent Action Plan for Affordable Energy and Clean Industrial Deal[2], the Commission has reiterated its call on Member States to complete the revision[3] of the current Energy Taxation Directive.
This is a recognition of the crucial role that the revision can play in promoting affordable energy and clean industry. As communicated in the action plan for Affordable Energy, the Commission will issue a recommendation to Member States by the end of 2025.
This will be taken forward in line with the present Directive[4], which allows decreasing taxes for electricity consumed by households and energy intensive industries.
In addition to structural and cohesion funds, the Social Climate Fund aims to support a fair transition towards climate neutrality. It will provide Member States with dedicated funding so that the most affected vulnerable groups can be directly supported.
Covering period of Tuesday 3rd – Sunday 8th June – Another bout of windy and wet weather is due to run across New Zealand this week followed by a wintry feeling weekend with cold temperatures across the country and even some snowfall for the South Island.
MetService is forecasting a broad area of rain to move across the country from west to east during Wednesday, with the heaviest rain expected in Taranaki Maunga and Tasman District where Heavy Rain Warnings have been issued. The rain and strong winds are the result of a rapidly deepening area of low pressure forming off the eastern coast of Australia and crossing the country.
MetService Meteorologist John Law says, “This week we see another visitor arriving from the Tasman Sea and it’s set to bring some active weather with it, but it’s not just the wind and rain we have to watch out for, with cold air rushing in behind this system it’s going to be a much colder end to the week.”
Heavy Rain Warnings have been issued for Bay of Plenty east of Whakatāne and inland Gisborne/Tairāwhiti, Tongariro National Park, Taranaki Maunga, the Tararua Range, Tasman District west of Motueka and Marlborough Ranges. Heavy Rain Watches have been issued for Northland, Auckland, Buller, Grey, Westland and Fiordland.
The rain on Wednesday is expected to be accompanied by thunderstorms in the northern and western parts of the North Island, with localised downpours, strong and gusty winds forecast. Strong Wind Watches have been issued for Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taranaki, Wellington and Wairarapa.
Overnight Wednesday, the Canterbury High Country is likely to find rain turning to snow, especially across the higher parts of the region and impacting the higher roads and passes. A Heavy Snow Watch has been issued for the region, with heavy snow possible above 300 metres (or possibly lower).
“As we’ve turned into June the weather will be taking on a real wintry feel,” says Law. “On Wednesday, we’ll be expecting snow for some of the higher roads of the Canterbury region so take extra care and keep up with the latest forecasts as well as the latest road information from NZTA.”
Temperatures are set to tumble for the end of the week, with daytime highs struggling to get beyond the teens across the country.
“The second half of the week will be feeling very different to the first, as cold southwesterly winds sweep across New Zealand,” says Law. “The coldest spots will be found in Central Otago, where daytime temperatures for Wānaka and Alexandra are only likely to reach 3°C or 4°C this weekend.”
While snow is set to stay about the high country on Wednesday and Thursday, the colder air on Friday brings the potential of snow to lower areas of Canterbury. “Cold air and wintry showers will feature in the forecast for parts of the South Island on Friday, but the heaviest snow is expected over the highest parts of Canterbury overnight on Wednesday. Snow is likely to near sea level on Friday for Canterbury, Otago, Southland and Fiordland. While this snow is likely to be significant and may cause disruptions to travel, at this stage warning amounts are not expected,” Law concludes.
Understanding MetService Severe Weather Warning System
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (Localised Red Warning) – take cover now:
This warning is a red warning for a localised area. When extremely severe weather is occurring or will do within the hour. Severe thunderstorms have the ability to have significant impacts for an area indicated in the warning. In the event of a Severe Thunderstorm Red Warning: Act now!
Red Warnings are about taking immediate action:
When extremely severe weather is imminent or is occurring Issued when an event is expected to be among the worst that we get – it will have significant impact and it is possible that a lot of people will be affected In the event of a Red Warning: Act now!
Orange Warnings are about taking action:
When severe weather is imminent or is occurring Typically issued 1 – 3 days in advance of potential severe weather In the event of an Orange Warning: Take action.
Thunderstorm Watch means thunderstorms are possible, be alert and consider action
Show the area that thunderstorms are most likely to occur during the validity period. Although thunderstorms are often localised, the whole area is on watch as it is difficult to know exactly where the severe thunderstorm will occur within the mapped area. During a thunderstorm Watch: Stay alert and take action if necessary.
Watches are about being alert:
When severe weather is possible, but not sufficiently imminent or certain for a warning to be issued Typically issued 1 – 3 days in advance of potential severe weather. During a Watch: Stay alert
Outlooks are about looking ahead:
To provide advanced information on possible future Watches and/or Warnings Issued routinely once or twice a day Recommendation: Plan.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Britain’s hospitality sector to save £3 million under new scheme
Britain’s pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels to save £3 million under emissions cutting scheme.
Pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels to receive free energy and carbon cutting advice to slash their energy bills as part of the government’s Plan for Change
Trial to save hospitality sector £3 million on bills and reduce 2,700 tonnes of carbon emissions
Zero Carbon Services will advise 600 British small businesses under scheme
Pubs, cafes, restaurants and hotels across the UK will have lower energy bills thanks to a new emissions cutting trial as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Over 600 small and medium sized hospitality businesses will receive free energy and carbon reduction assessments to cut energy costs, support productivity and boost growth.
Funded by the government and delivered by Zero Carbon Services, one of the UK’s leading net-zero advisers for the hospitality sector, the trial is expected to save businesses over £3 million. This will help pubs and restaurants to keep more money in their pockets – while allowing them to invest in jobs and continue to be the hubs of communities.
Minister for Industry Sarah Jones said:
Pubs, restaurants and cafes are a cornerstone for communities across the country, with the hospitality sector employing millions of people and contributing billions to the economy.
By providing business owners with expert advice to cut bills and reduce emissions, this will help them keep more money in their pockets to grow their business, employ local people and continue to serve your pint of lager or fish and chips.
Zero Carbon Services CEO Mark Chapman said:
Climate change is already impacting hospitality with extreme weather events reducing sales and increasing food supply costs. Combined with other cost increases, there has never been a more important time to both recover lost profits and take credible action on reducing carbon emissions, the key cause of climate change.
We’ve already helped thousands of UK pubs, restaurants and hotels, to cut carbon and costs and thanks to this scheme, we can now offer that support for free to even more independent businesses.
Most venues have opportunities to save energy, food and money without realising it. By combining smart data with one-to-one coaching, we help operators take simple, practical steps to reduce waste, lower emissions, and improve day-to-day efficiency. It’s about making small changes that add up — cutting waste, protecting profits and building a stronger, more resilient sector.
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said:
Hospitality businesses have already made great strides to reduce their emissions but are keen to go further and faster in order to save costs and become more sustainable.
We’re pleased to support this new trial that can help businesses further cut their emissions, and we’re looking forward to working with the government and Zero Carbon Services on its rollout.
Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said:
This initiative is welcome and will give valuable insights into the ways the sector can become more energy efficient which could help to cut down on energy bills.
This is no small sum and we’re pleased that government has acted on our calls to support the sector through boosting funding to undertake this kind of work.
Steve Alton, CEO of British Institute of Innkeeping, said:
Running a lean, sustainable pub business is vital for operators across the UK. We have supported our members with their carbon measurement and reduction over the past 2 years as part of our Sustainability Champions programme, so we are delighted that Zero Carbon Services can now offer more support via free assessments and coaching to over 600 operators.
The hospitality sector is largely made up of SMEs and supports 3.5 million jobs, while contributing £93 billion to the UK economy.
The scheme will support businesses to make cost effective changes such as fixing insulation gaps, upgrading to low energy lighting or tweaking heating settings that will add up to significant savings over the year.
A recent report from the Federation of Small Businesses found that 64% of small businesses believe sustainability should be a high priority for the government, but only 26% of small businesses believe they have the appropriate knowledge to transition their business to net zero.
The Zero Carbon Services Hospitality trial will help hospitality businesses by putting business owners in direct contact with the expertise of trusted energy and sustainability advisers.
The launch of the trial comes ahead of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, which will turbocharge growth in the UK’s key sectors including clean energy. Meanwhile, a renewed Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy will set the strategic direction for the government’s approach to working with industry towards a competitive and low carbon industrial base in the UK, ensuring growth opportunities are captured in tandem with emissions reductions.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to welcome its new winner on Tuesday when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on each other in the title clash at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to lift their maiden silverware.
RCB and PBKS have been part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. Both sides have come close to lifting the IPL trophy but ended as runners-up. RCB played three finals (2009, 2011, 2016) before this year’s title clash, while Punjab had their chance in 2014.
With the excitement among fans of both franchises reaching the pinnacle, the encounter is going to be a nail-biting affair. However, the weather is likely to make it more intense for the fans with a rain threat looming around the match.
According to AccuWeather, the temperature in Ahmedabad will be around 36°C at the beginning of the game, dropping to around 31°C by the end. Humidity levels will range between 52% and 63% during match hours. The sky is expected to be cloudy for most of the time, and there is around 2% to 5% chance of rain to interrupt the game.
In case of a washout on Tuesday, the IPL 2025 final will be played on the reserve day – Wednesday. In case of a complete washout on both days, which is highly unlikely, the team that has finished at the top (Punjab Kings) will lift the title.
Ahmedabad also hosted the IPL final in 2023, which was significantly disrupted by rain. The match, initially set for May 28, had to be postponed without a single ball being bowled. Fortunately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India utilised a reserve day to hold the final the following day.
However, rain continued to interfere, leading to a shortened contest, with the second innings limited to just 15 overs. Ravindra Jadeja’s last-ball heroics guided Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title against the home side Gujarat Titans.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)
Projects would improve roads, public safety, water access, and education in Kansas Third District
Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced 15 community projects across Kansas’ Third District that she has submitted to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2026 funding. These locally driven requests — totaling $42,207,012.13 — focus on rebuilding aging roads and bridges, strengthening public safety and law enforcement response, expanding water access during extreme weather, and addressing other urgent community needs.
“My job is to be a voice for Kansas’ Third District in Washington and make sure our community’s priorities are front and center,” said Davids. “My team worked closely with local leaders and thoroughly reviewed each proposal to ensure they’re responsible, effective, and deliver real value. I’ve always fought for smart, fiscally responsible investments — and these projects reflect that commitment while making a meaningful difference for Kansans.”
Each of the 15 Davids-requested projects were submitted in tandem with local officials and selected for their potential to improve health and safety in the community and bring economic opportunity to the Third District. Appropriations requests are subject to strict transparency and accountability rules, which can be foundhere.
Read more about how each project will improve lives in our community hereor below:
Road and Bridges
Kansas Avenue Bridge Project ($3,500,000): To reconnect the Kansas City region and connect the urban freight corridor crucial to the many local industrial and manufacturing businesses in the Kansas City metropolitan region.
Spring Hill Intersection Improvements ($2,391,641): To construct a safety upgrade and modernization for the intersection of of US Highway 169 and 191st street to provide safety improvements for motor vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Public Safety
Overland Park Police Department (OPPD) Body Camera Replacement ($1,500,000): To purchase body cameras for all OPPD officers and improve video systems to increase safety, transparency, and trust.
New Century AirCenter Air Traffic Control Tower ($6,000,000): To build a new, safer air traffic control tower, replacing operationally obsolete tower, making flights safer and more efficient.
Overland Park Street Signal Replacement ($1,300,000): To replace the traffic signal and sidewalk at Metcalf Avenue and I-435 westbound, Metcalf Avenue and I-435 eastbound, and Metcalf Avenue and 110th street.
Water
Bonner Springs Sewage ($6,318,755): To build new sewer lines to prevent overflows, as the current system is already at capacity, and better serve the 3,500 residents and local businesses.
Garnett Flood Prevention ($1,000,000): To fix a damaged spillway in Garnett to prevent flooding, protect homes, and keep the local lake — a part of the town’s economy — open and safe for visitors.
Olathe Sewer Rehabilitation ($1,105,582): To replace old, worn-out sewer pipes and manholes in Olathe to prevent leaks and protect the health and safety of Kansas families.
Princeton Stormwater Improvements ($634,786.13): To improve Princeton’s storm drainage system to prevent flooding and support future business and job growth in the area.
Education
K-State Olathe Manufacturing Equipment ($5,004,250): To buy lab equipment so students can train for high-tech, good-paying supply chain research and advanced manufacturing jobs as domestic manufacturing grows in Kansas City.
Energy and Utilities
BPU Electric Grid System Improvements ($6,000,000): To construct three additional feeders from the new Rosedale Substation to the University of Kansas Medical Center campus.
Public Spaces
Johnson County Building Security Upgrades ($917,000): To modernize county building security panel access systems. By modernizing existing security technology, this project enhances security for all citizens, public employees, and elected officials throughout the system of county buildings.
Osawatomie John Brown Park Refurbishment ($1,560,000): To refurbish aged infrastructure and allow space for improved public engagement and historical education opportunities.
Prairie Village Municipal Complex Modernization ($3,900,000): To upgrade driveways, sidewalks and curbs, underground retention, drainage pipes, fencing, pavement markings, landscaping, retaining walls, covered car ports, and utilities.
UG Mount Marty Park Refurbishment ($1,075,000): To update park wayfinding signage, lighting, resurfacing of the roadway into Marty Park, trail work, structural repairs, sidewalk instillation, and landscaping.
What they are saying:
“We are incredibly grateful to Representative Sharice Davids for championing the Lonestar Interceptor project through the Community Project Funding process,” said Tom Stephens, Mayor, City of Bonner Springs. “This critical infrastructure investment lays the foundation for future development, protects public health, and ensures our city is prepared for long-term growth. Her support brings us one step closer to a more resilient and sustainable Bonner Springs.”
“Reliable infrastructure isn’t just about keeping the lights on — it’s about protecting lives and supporting critical services like hospitals, emergency response, and local industry,” said Jeremy Ash, General Manager, Kansas City Board of Public Utilities. “This investment would strengthen our electric system, improve service resilience, and ensure we can meet the evolving needs of the people we serve. We’re grateful to Rep. Davids for championing this project, and we urge leaders to support funding that delivers real, long-term benefits to Kansans, especially the hardworking families and businesses of Wyandotte County.”
“The City of Osawatomie and its leadership sincerely appreciate Representative Davids’ steadfast support and commitment to preserving a vital chapter of our nation’s history,” said Bret Glendening, City Manager, Osawatomie. “The events that unfolded in Osawatomie were pivotal in shaping both Kansas and the United States, and their significance cannot be overstated. Securing Representative Davids’ endorsement is an important first step for the future of John Brown Park, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to help make this critical federal investment a reality.”
“We thank Representative Davids for her support in securing these important community project funds – a testament to the powerful impact of collaboration between the federal and local levels,” said Curt Skoog, Mayor, Overland Park. “The upgrades at the I-435 and Metcalf will improve safety for Overland Park drivers, and the body camera replacements will equip our Police Department with essential tools for transparency. We look forward to the positive impact of these investments on our community.”
“On behalf of the City of Princeton and Franklin County I would like to express our appreciation to Representative Sharice Davids support of our request for funding,” said Paul Bean, Executive Director, Franklin County Development Council. The funding to fix and improve infrastructure in the City of Princeton is vital to the future growth and development of the community. Without federal and state support, our small rural communities will not have the opportunity to thrive and grow.”
“We are very grateful for Representative Davids continued support for reopening the Kansas Avenue bridge and continuing to be a champion for improving the quality of life for our residents,” said Tyrone Garner, Mayor, Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. “This funding request will help us with the design and environmental work that must be done to get this critical transportation artery operating again. The UG also appreciates Representative Davids support for restoration of the historic Mount Marty Park that is a treasured part of the Rosedale neighborhood.”
“New Century AirCenter contributes $1.1 billion annually to the local and regional economy,” said Mike Kelly, Chairman, Johnson County Board of County Commissioners. “Upgrading the Air Traffic Control Tower is essential to maintaining the safety, efficiency, and economic value the airport brings to Johnson County and the entire region. We appreciate Rep. Davids’ support for this vital infrastructure investment.”
“Enhancing building security helps protect our public facilities, employees, and the residents who rely on our services,” said Byron Roberson, Sheriff, Johnson County. “We’re grateful for Rep. Davids’ partnership in supporting the safe and effective delivery of these essential services.”
“We appreciate Representative Davids’ support for our municipal civic center improvement.,” said Eric Mikkelson, Mayor, Prairie Village. “This significant Prairie Village project addresses aging and failing infrastructure, provides improved working conditions for police and city staff, and creates adequate space for public meetings and future growth. By planning ahead, we will ensure that we have a functional, modern facility to benefit current residents and future generations.”
“This project would strengthen transportation safety not only for Spring Hill, but for everyone who uses the K-7 corridor,” said Joe Berkey, Mayor, Spring Hill. “We appreciate Rep. Davids’ continued support in advocating for federal investment in our community.”
“The City of Princeton would like to thank Sharice Davids for adding Princeton’s storm water improvements to her community project funding submissions,” said Chris Hutchinson, Mayor, Princeton. “This funding will be beneficial to our community in more ways than one. The community as a whole appreciates the support.”
“The State of Kansas and the Greater Kansas City region are becoming hubs for advanced manufacturing, with major developments like Panasonic’s new plant in DeSoto—bringing an estimated 4,000 jobs—Garmin’s expansion in Olathe, and Merck’s recent announcement to add 200 jobs through expanded vaccine production in DeSoto,” said Dr. Ben Wolfe, CEO and Dean, K-State Olathe. “To successfully onshore manufacturing and grow American jobs, we must invest in education and workforce training. K-State Olathe is proud to partner with Rep. Sharice Davids and others to launch a state-of-the-art lab that will support academic programs, professional development, and applied research to meet industry needs and drive innovation.”
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 3, 2025.
In her memoir, Jacinda Ardern shows a ‘different kind of power’ is possible – but also has its limits Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Imagine getting a positive pregnancy test and then – just a few days later – learning you’ll be prime minister. In hindsight, being willing and able to deal with the
Google’s SynthID is the latest tool for catching AI-made content. What is AI ‘watermarking’ and does it work? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University HomeArt/Shutterstock Last month, Google announced SynthID Detector, a new tool to detect AI-generated content. Google claims it can identify AI-generated content in text, image, video or audio. But there are some caveats. One of them
What parents and youth athletes can do to protect against abuse in sport Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fanny Kuhlin, PhD candidate in Sport Management (Sport Science), Örebro University Ron Alvey/Shutterstock From the horrific Larry Nassar abuse scandal in United States gymnastics to the “environment of fear” some volleyball athletes endured at the Australian Institute of Sport, abuse in sport has been well documented in
Astronomers thought the Milky Way was doomed to crash into Andromeda. Now they’re not so sure Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruby Wright, Forrest Fellow in Astrophysics, The University of Western Australia Luc Viatour / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA For years, astronomers have predicted a dramatic fate for our galaxy: a head-on collision with Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbour. This merger – expected in about 5 billion years
Is the private hospital system collapsing? Here’s what the sector’s financial instability means for you Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne lightpoet/Shutterstock Toowong Private Hospital in Brisbane is the latest hospital to succumb to financial pressures and will close its doors next week. The industry association attributes the psychiatric hospital’s closure to insufficient payments from and delayed funding
Trump’s steel tariffs are unlikely to have a big impact on Australia. But we could be hurt by what happens globally Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott French, Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Sydney Shestakov Dymytro/Shutterstock Just one day after the US Court of Appeals temporarily reinstated the Trump Administration’s Liberation Day tariffs of between 10% and 50% on nearly every country in the world, Trump announced tariffs on all US imports of
Tax concessions on super need a rethink. These proposals would bring much needed reform Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Murphy, Visiting Fellow, Economics (modelling), Australian National University fizkes/Shutterstock The federal government has proposed an additional tax of 15% on the earnings made on super balances of over A$3 million, the so-called Division 296 tax. This has set off a highly politicised debate that has often
The surprising power of photography in ageing well Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tricia King, Senior Lecturer in Photography, University of the Sunshine Coast Marcia Grimm Older adults are often faced with lifestyle changes that can disrupt their sense of place and purpose. It may be the loss of a partner, downsizing their home, or moving to residential aged care.
What birds can teach us about repurposing waste Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Farrier, Professor of Literature and the Environment, University of Edinburgh Some birds use deterrent spikes to make their nests. Chemari/Shutterstock Modern cities are evolution engines. Urban snails in the Netherlands and lizards in Los Angeles have developed lighter shells and larger scales to cope with the
Human Rights Watch warns renewed fighting threatens West Papua civilians Asia Pacific Report An escalation in fighting between Indonesian security forces and Papuan pro-independence fighters in West Papua has seriously threatened the security of the largely indigenous population, says Human Rights Watch in a new report. The human rights watchdog warned that all parties to the conflict are obligated to abide by international humanitarian law,
Will surging sea levels kill the Great Barrier Reef? Ancient coral fossils may hold the answer Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jody Webster, Professor of Marine Geoscience, University of Sydney marcobriviophoto.com In the 20th century, global sea level rose faster than at any other time in the past 3,000 years. It’s expected to rise even further by 2100, as human-induced climate change intensifies. In fact, some studies predict
Pro-Trump candidate wins Poland’s presidential election – a bad omen for the EU, Ukraine and women Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia Poland’s presidential election runoff will be a bitter pill for pro-European Union democrats to swallow. The nationalist, Trumpian, historian Karol Nawrocki has narrowly defeated the liberal, pro-EU mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, 50.89 to 49.11%. The Polish
Australia’s latest emissions data reveal we still have a giant fossil fuel problem Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Lovell, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, UNSW Sydney According to Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, the latest emissions data show “we are on track to reach our 2030 targets” under the Paris Agreement. In 2024, Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions were “27% below 2005
What is retinol? And will it make my acne flare? 3 experts unpack this trendy skincare ingredient Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurence Orlando, Senior Lecturer, Product Formulation and Development, Analytical Methods, Monash University Irina Kvyatkovskaya/Shutterstock Retinol skincare products suddenly seem to be everywhere, promising clear, radiant and “youthful” skin. But what’s the science behind these claims? And are there any risks? You may have also heard retinol can
Pasifika recipients say King’s Birthday honours not just theirs alone By Teuila Fuatai, RNZ Pacific senior journalist, Iliesa Tora, and Christina Persico A New Zealand-born Niuean educator says being recognised in the King’s Birthday honours list reflects the importance of connecting young tagata Niue in Aotearoa to their roots. Mele Ikiua, who hails from the village of Hakupu Atua in Niue, has been named a
Eugene Doyle: Writing in the time of the Gaza genocide COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle I want to share a writer’s journey — of living and writing through the Genocide. Where I live and how I live could not be further from the horror playing out in Gaza and, increasingly, on the West Bank. Yet, because my country provides military, intelligence and diplomatic support to Israel
Decades of searching and a chance discovery: why finding Leadbeater’s possum in NSW is such big news Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Until now, Victorians believed their state was the sole home for Leadbeater’s possum, their critically endangered state faunal emblem. This tiny marsupial is clinging to life in a few pockets of mountain
In Bradfield, the election is not yet over. What happens when a seat count is ultra close? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Graeme Orr, Professor of Law, The University of Queensland Election day was over four weeks ago. Yet the outcome in one House of Representatives remains unclear. That is the formerly Liberal Sydney electorate of Bradfield. In real time, you can watch the lead tilt between Liberal hopeful,
Is there a right way to talk to your baby? A baby brain expert explains ‘parentese’ Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Herbert, Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology, University of Wollongong 2p2play/Shutterstock You might have seen those heartwarming and often funny viral videos where parents or carers engage in long “talks” with young babies about this and that – usually just fun chit chat of no great consequence.
“Christopher Luxon must end any further speculation that his Government is on the climate denial bandwagon. After wasting a year playing around with the mythical ‘no additional warming’ idea, international alarm bells are ringing,” says Green Party co-leader and Climate Change spokesperson, Chlöe Swarbrick.
“The Climate Change Commission is clear that any entertainment of ‘no additional warming’ from agricultural gasses would mean households and businesses across the rest of the economy carrying a far higher burden.
“International experts are rightfully calling out this accounting trick. It’s about fixing numbers on a page while the real world burns.
“While the Government doesn’t tend to show any care for people and the planet, perhaps they would understand that pushing ahead with this agenda poses huge risks for our international exports, climate and trade agreements.
“The Greens haveshownhow we can reduce real-world emissions five times faster than the Government’s ‘plan,’ while reducing the cost of living and improving our quality of life.
“New Zealanders deserve so much better than this Government’s low ambitions for our country,”says Chlöe Swarbrick.
* The Green Party has raised this issue multiple times. Please see some examples below
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
06.02.25
National Weather Service Partial Rehire Plan Isn’t Good Enough, Says Cantwell
NWS lost over 560 employees under Trump firings, creating unprecedented forecasting interruptions; today’s approval of 126 new hires represents less than 1/4 of that total; Months before the current crisis, Cantwell called for an exemption and accurately predicted the current situation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released this statement following the Trump administration’s announcement of a plan to partially undo the damage done by their indiscriminate firings, resignations, and attrition plaguing the National Weather Service (NWS) workforce.
“The Trump Administration is trying to put a flimsy band-aid over their massive cut to the National Weather Service,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Hiring back less than a quarter of the people they fired isn’t good enough with hurricane and wildfire seasons bearing down. The administration should immediately end its hiring freeze for the National Weather Service, along with other critical safety roles throughout NOAA, including weather researchers and maritime professionals that weather forecasters and fisheries managers depend on.”
This dangerous decision to leave critical jobs unfilled comes as the National Interagency Fire Center, a partnership which includes NWS, released its Fire Maps for the next four months predicting above normal significant fire potential across the Northwest, and the National Weather Service predicts an above-normal hurricane season, which began yesterday.
Just last Thursday, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter demanding that the Trump Administration immediately exempt the NWS from its current federal hiring freeze so that citizens and communities will not be left to fend for themselves without adequate warnings as both hurricane season and wildfire season rapidly approach.
Today’s action by the administration lifted the hiring freeze on 126 positions across four roles – meteorologists, hydrologists, physical scientists, and electronic technicians. However, many other important roles remain subject to the freeze, including credentialed mariners needed to safety operate NOAA research vessels, weather scientists, and weather satellite technicians. NOAA vessels and satellites are crucial to maintaining forecast and weather infrastructure needed for meteorologists to issue quality and timely forecasts. These firings also impact our economy, with a number of commercial fishing surveys cancelled this year, including for Alaska pollock and salmon. Elimination of surveys will take catch from fishing families, which will result in job loss and increased cost for consumers that want access to high quality American seafood at their local markets and restaurants.
Multiple recent reports have documented the impacts of the hiring freeze. The Washington Post reports that “Some…forecasting teams are so critically understaffed that the agency is offering to pay moving expenses for any staff willing to transfer to those offices, according to notices recently sent to employees…” And the New York Times found that “The National Weather Service is preparing for the probability that fewer forecast updates will be fine-tuned by specialists, among other cutbacks, because of ‘severe shortages’ of meteorologists and other employees, according to an internal agency document.” These reports make clear that action must be taken immediately to avoid a catastrophic gap in capacity in the face of a future storm or wildfire.
In February, Sen. Cantwell sent Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick a letter warning of the likelihood of this exact situation.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WINOOSKI, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, joined a forum hosted by the Energy Action Network (EAN) and the EAN Climate Workforce Coalition on how Congressional policy and budget decisions may impact Vermont’s energy transformation and climate action initiatives, including Vermont’s climate workforce.
“President Trump has put Big Oil first, and his attacks on green jobs prove it. He and his administration are walking back our global climate goals, gutting tax credits that help folks make energy efficiency home upgrades, and slashing green jobs and climate research. Vermonters have made their opposition to Trump’s actions clear—I’ve heard from hundreds of folks across our state who are deeply concerned about how Republicans’ budget will raise costs for families, businesses, and farmers,” said Senator Welch. “I’ll continue to join Senate Democrats in standing up to these attacks and fighting for a clean energy future.”
Republicans’ reconciliation bill will repeal clean energy programs established through the historic Inflation Reduction Act and raise energy costs for American households and businesses. It will eliminate jobs in manufacturing, clean technologies, and budding industries, and has already sown economic uncertainty throughout the energy sector.
The legislation advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives would effectively repeal many of the clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act while expanding fossil fuel production and subsidies. Specifically, the bill:
Rescinds unspent funding for clean energy grant programs in the Inflation Reduction Act;
Eliminates or effectively eliminates most clean energy tax credits including:
Electric Vehicles Tax Credit for new and used vehicles;
Energy Efficiency Home Improvement Tax Credit;
Clean Electricity Investment and Production Tax Credits;
Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit; and
Mandates oil and gas leases on public lands and allows Big Oil companies to pay the government to fast-track environmental reviews.
All told, Republicans’ plans will have drastic consequences for the economy. Studies predict that repealing the Inflation Reduction Act will eliminate 790,000 jobs, increase energy costs for American consumers by $32 billion between 2025-35, and shrink the U.S. economy by $190 billion in 2035. President Trump’s policies have already killed $14 billion in clean energy investments and 10,000 new energy jobs since he took office.
n Global Heat Action Day, Governor Kathy Hochul highlighted new and enhanced resources available to protect New York communities from extreme heat this summer. Measures will help New Yorkers access affordable cooling at home and at cooling centers, provide additional support for cool and resilient buildings, help keep kids cool at schools, and offer new tools and expanded funding for communities to prepare for and adapt to extreme heat and mitigate urban heat islands. The New York State Department of Health also launched its interactive New York State Heat Risk and Illness Dashboard that will allow the public and county health care officials to determine the forecasted level of heat-related health risks in their areas and raise awareness about the dangers of heat exposure.
“Scorching summer temperatures and increasing extreme weather events threaten the lives and well-being of New Yorkers across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why I’m directing State agencies to take action and ensure all New Yorkers can afford and access relief from the full spectrum of heat risks.”
Heat waves and other extreme heat events are likely to happen again this summer and New York State agencies are working to implement initiatives recommended by the State’s Extreme Heat Action Plan to help New Yorkers prepare for heat’s negative health and environmental impacts. A range of new and enhanced resources are available for individuals, local governments, and community-based organizations, including:
New support for cooling at home: With the new Essential Plan Cooling program, NY State of Health will provide eligible Essential Plan members a free air conditioner to help keep their homes cool. This will complement assistance available in 2025 through the HEAP Cooling program which served more than 23,000 households in 2024.
Better access to cooling centers: New resources are available to help connect New Yorkers with safe spaces for cooling. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) will continue to coordinate with local health departments and emergency managers to update the Cooling Center Finder throughout summer 2025. DOH offers new resources to provide information about best practices for setting up cooling centers and how these locations could serve as clean air centers. Round 8 of the Climate Smart Communities grant program is now open, making $22 million available to fund GHG mitigation and climate adaptation projects, including establishing cooling centers.
Additional support for cool buildings: Funding available through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) supports weatherization and clean and efficient heating and cooling that can improve extreme heat resilience at homes, community anchor institutions, schools, and more. The Office of General Services’ new “Decarbonization and Climate Resiliency Design Guide” was released for new and majorly renovated State building projects to assess and reduce climate risk (including extreme heat and Urban Heat Islands) through proactive design.
New investments in cool schools: The Education Law newly requires public school districts and BOCES to develop an extreme heat policy, which establishes certain temperature thresholds. NYSERDA offers additional funding to install clean cooling and heating at schools, for example through funding as part of the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act.
Enhanced tools and funding for cool communities: Preliminary extreme heat exposure maps and DOH’s Heat Vulnerability Index help communities understand exposure and vulnerabilities. Programs such as Climate Smart Communities fund communities in planning, designing, and implementation solutions. New and expanded funding supports nature-based solutions such as urban forests, urban farms, and community gardens to cool neighborhoods and mitigate heat islands. Governor Hochul’s New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative expanded outdoor swimming through the Connect Kids to Swimming Instruction Transportation grant program and advanced capital projects for swimming facilities in underserved communities through the NY SWIMS Round One competitive grant program.
Implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan
New York State also marks significant progress on the first year of implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan (EHAP) with the first readiness update now available. In June 2024, Governor Hochul, the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the EHAP Work Group released the plan with nearly 50 actions by State agencies to address extreme heat impacts across four tracks (local planning and capacity building, community preparedness and workers’ safety, resilient buildings and access to cooling, and advancing ecosystem-based adaptations). DEC is coordinating the implementation of the plan in partnership with NYSERDA and the members of the Work Group, including the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and the State Department of Health (DOH).
During the first year implementing the plan, State agencies made significant progress in developing new resources that help communities address impacts of extreme heat. The full update on implementation progress is available here.
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Extreme heat driven by our changing climate is contributing to serious public health consequences and threats to New Yorkers, particularly New Yorkers in communities of color and communities historically overburdened by pollution. DEC and our agency partners released the Extreme Heat Action Plan last year under Governor Hochul’s directive and applaud the significant programs and efforts underway to protect lives and advance efforts to ensure our communities are better prepared to respond to severe weather.”
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “On Global Heat Action Day, New York State is strengthening its commitment to providing access to reliable, efficient, and affordable cooling solutions in communities across the state. The resources announced today show tremendous progress in implementing the Extreme Heat Action Plan, assuring all New Yorkers – including the most vulnerable – that relief will be available during the hottest months of the year.”
Staying Safe During Extreme Heat
The dangers of extreme heat can affect everyone, regardless of age, physical shape, or existing health conditions. The body works extra hard to maintain a normal temperature during extreme heat and, without taking proper measures, this can lead to heat-related illness or even death.
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Extreme heat can be deadly, so it’s important that New Yorkers take it seriously. Governor Hochul has made addressing extreme heat a priority as multiple days of high temperatures are becoming more common here in New York. Our state agencies have worked together to make resources available for communities and residents, including free air conditioners to help those eligible keep their homes cool and a comprehensive online tool to assist individuals looking for cooling centers. I urge everyone to prepare now for the extreme temperatures coming our way this summer.”
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “As extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe due to climate change, it’s critical that we equip New Yorkers with the tools and resources they need to stay safe and healthy. These new initiatives will not only expand access to cooling centers and protect vulnerable populations, but also help build healthier, more resilient communities. We’re proud to work alongside Governor Hochul and our state partners to ensure that every New Yorker, especially those most at risk, can find relief from extreme heat.”
Information about what the public can do during hot weather and how to locate cooling centers can be found on DOH’s Extreme Heat website.
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can also provide an air conditioning unit to income-eligible households that include someone with a documented medical condition exacerbated by extreme heat, or households with young children or older adults. Applications will continue to be accepted until funding runs out. For more information, visit the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance website or contact your local office for the aging at 1-800-342-9871.
Groups most at risk are:
People who work outdoors or indoors without air conditioning
Adults aged 60 years and older
Infants, children, and those who are pregnant
People with chronic health conditions
Those with physical and cognitive disabilities
Those with no access to air conditioning
Individuals who live alone or are unhoused
Athletes
Pets and service animals
People living in cities because asphalt and concrete store heat longer and release heat more slowly at night. This produces higher nighttime temperatures and is known as the “urban heat island effect.”
Another important heat safety tip is to never leave children or pets unsupervised in hot cars. There is a real and severe danger when leaving children or pets unsupervised in a car even when temperatures don’t “feel” hot. At 60 degrees outside, after just one hour a closed car can get as hot as 105 degrees.
Supporting Local Extreme Heat Action
New York State continues to make investments in programs to help mitigate extreme heat and other climate impacts. Currently, $22 million is available through the Climate Smart Communities grant program to fund climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, including for projects that help communities plan for and adapt to extreme heat. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2025. More information is available on DEC’s website.
New York State’s Climate Agenda
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.
Despite its transformative impact on everything from jobs to national security, AI received surprisingly little attention during the campaign and in the first weeks following Carney’s victory. The consequences of that lack of attention are already starting to show, as emissions and electricity costs continue unabated without a clear vision of where AI fits in.
Although Carney has appointed former journalist Evan Solomon as Canada’s first-ever AI minister, it’s not yet clear what action the Liberal government plans to take on AI.
The Liberals’ “Canada Strong” plan outlining the prime minister’s proposals is scarce on details. Still, it provides some clues on how the Liberals see AI and what they believe it offers to the Canadian economy — and also what they seem to have misunderstood.
Economy of the future?
First, the plan includes some robust initiatives for improving Canada’s digital infrastructure, which lags behind other leading countries, especially in terms of rural broadband and reliable cell service.
To accomplish these goals, the Liberals say they’ll incentivize investment by “introducing flow-through shares to our Canadian startup ecosystem…to raise money faster” for AI and other technologies.
In other words, they will reuse the model of mining and oil companies whereby investors can claim a tax deduction for the same amount as their investment. A major question is whether Canada’s investment ecosystem has enough big players willing to take these risks.
The plan gets less promising as it comes to the implementation of AI within “the economy of tomorrow.”
The Liberals say they plan to build more data centres, improve computing capacity and create digital supply chain solutions “to improve efficiency and reduce costs for Canadians.”
All that that sounds OK — so far. But how will they do this?
Connecting AI with Armed Forces
The Liberals plan to establish the Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Science (BOREALIS), linking AI development directly to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Communications Security Establishment Canada, which provides the federal government with information technology security and foreign signals intelligence.
This approach to AI is focused on what it offers to Canada’s defence, whether by manufacturing semiconductors or improving intelligence gathering, so that it can rely less on the U.S. Similarly, Canadian defence tech firms will access funding to help reduce dependence on American suppliers and networks.
The Liberals are pledging sovereignty and autonomy for Canada’s defence and security, all enabled by “the construction and development of AI infrastructure.”
What goes unsaid is the intense power needs of data centres, and the consequences for emissions and climate action of “building the next generation of data centres” in Canada.
Climate concerns
New data centres cannot be built without also constructing more renewable energy infrastructure, and none of this addresses emissions or climate change.
If the centres crop up in big numbers as planned, Canadians could also see their electricity costs go up or become less reliable.
That’s because finding space within the existing grid is not as easy as it may sound when AI data centres require over 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity demand versus five to 10 MW for a regular centre.
With the rapidly evolving market for AI-based data centres, Canadian policymakers need to provide clear guidance to utilities in terms of their current decisions on competing industrial-scale demands. As the Canadian Climate Institute points out: “Anything less risks higher rates, increased emissions, missed economic opportunities — or all of the above.”
So far, the Liberal plan fails to address any of these concerns.
A Canadian department of efficiency?
What else does the “economy of tomorrow” hold?
Apparently, it means more efficient government. According to the Liberal plan, AI “is how government improves service delivery, it is how government keeps up with the speed of business, and it is how government maximizes efficiency and reduces cost.”
Despite otherwise clashing with the Trump administration, this language is reminiscent of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has also centred its use of AI.
The Liberals will open an Office of Digital Transformation, which aims to get rid of red tape and “reduce barriers for businesses to operate in Canada.”
They don’t seem to really know what this would actually look like, however. They say: “This could mean using AI to address government service backlogs and improve service delivery times, so that Canadians get better services, faster.”
Their fiscal plan points out that this frame of thinking applies to every single expenditure: “We will look at every new dollar being spent through the lens of how AI and technology can improve service and reduce costs.”
The economy will also benefit, the government argues, from AI commercialization, with $46 million pegged over the next four years to connect AI researchers with businesses.
This would work alongside a tax credit for small and medium-sized businesses to “leverage AI to boost their bottom lines, create jobs, and support existing employees.”
Creating a tax credit for smaller companies to introduce AI seems like a recipe for repeating the same mistake.
Protect Canadians with good AI policy
Much of the Liberal plan seems to involve taking risks. There’s a shortsightedness on this rapidly advancing technology that requires significant guardrails.
The government seem to view AI as a solutions machine, buying into the hype around it without taking the time to understand it.
As policy is properly hashed out in the weeks and months to come, the Liberals’ feet will have to be held to the fire on the issue of AI. Canadians must benefit from its limited uses and be protected from its abuses.
Jake Pitre 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.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced nearly $21.6 million has been awarded to 103 farms across the state through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program to support New York’s dairy industry. The funding, first announced in the Governor’s 2024 State of the State address, will help New York’s dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives invest in new equipment, expand storage capacity, and strengthen their operations, particularly as they face extreme weather events, providing a critical boost to New York’s dairy industry. The announcement comes as the State officially kicks off the celebration of Dairy Month this June.
“New York’s dairy industry is the backbone of our agricultural economy, supporting thousands of jobs across our rural communities,” Governor Hochul said. “With this $26 million investment through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program, we’re giving hardworking dairy farmers and cooperatives the tools they need to grow, innovate and lead in a changing market. This is how we honor our agricultural legacy — by making sure it has a strong and sustainable future.”
The awards were announced this morning at a special event at Glory Days Farm, a 120-cow dairy farm in Lowville, Lewis County. New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball was joined by partners from the Farm and Food Growth Fund (FFGF), who administer this grant program on behalf of the Department, in addition to other North Country dairy farm awardees, Lowville Producers Dairy Cooperative Inc., New York Farm Bureau, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District, and elected officials to celebrate these awardees.
As part of the program, Glory Days Farm, a New York State Grown & Certified participant, will now be able to install new equipment needed on the farm, including a 3,000-gallon bulk tank, washer, two new compressors, and a permanent generator to maintain power supply in the event of extreme weather. The project will improve storage capacity, which will prevent dumped milk and provide a cost savings to Glory Days Farm by allowing them to move to every-other-day milk pickup and reducing stop and hauling costs. New cooling technology will help the farm save energy and ensure milk quality, while the on-demand generator will allow for milk transfer in the event of disruptions.
A regional breakdown of the awards made across the State is listed below. A complete list of projects awarded for a total of $21.57 million can be found here.
Capital Region: nine farms were awarded a total of nearly $1.8 million.
Central New York: 18 farms were awarded a total of more than $3.9 million.
Finger Lakes: 20 farms were awarded a total of more than $4.3 million.
Mid-Hudson: One farm was awarded more than $147,000.
Mohawk Valley: 11 farms were awarded a total of more than $2.1 million.
North Country: 15 farms were awarded a total of more than $3.3 million.
Southern Tier: 13 farms were awarded a total of nearly $2.6 million.
Western New York: 13 farms were awarded a total of more than $2.7 million.
The Dairy Modernization Grant program awarded eligible applicants for projects to expand on-farm milk storage capacity, improve the transportation and storage of milk, and strengthen the dairy industry. The program supports the needs of dairy farmers by facilitating the installation of critical technological and infrastructural improvements that will improve dairy supply chain efficiency and avoid the need for raw milk dumping during emergency events.
Funding for the Dairy Modernization Grant Program is a part of Governor Hochul’s 2024 State of the State and her overarching commitment to the dairy industry, including additional funds dedicated in the FY26 Enacted Budget to support a $10 million second round of the program, and further funding dedicated to research and to implement climate-resilient practices on dairy farms.
This investment builds on the commitment that Governor Hochul has made to support sustainability in the agricultural industry, including for dairy farms. Under the Governor’s leadership, the FY26 Enacted Budget provides an additional $5.25 million from the Environmental Protection Fund over the previous year for agricultural programs and initiatives that also benefit New York dairy farms, such as the Climate Resilient Farming grant program and the Agricultural Non-Point Source Abatement and Control program, that are helping farms to implement environmentally sustainable practices and combat climate change. Additional allocations for the Farmland Protection Program and the State’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts will also support the New York dairy community.
Since taking office, Governor Hochul has made significant strides in expanding the dairy manufacturing sector in New York. In the last few years, New York has celebrated investments across the state, including a $650 million fairlife production plant in Webster, the $518 million Great Lakes Cheese packaging and manufacturing facilities in Franklinville, and a $30 million expansion to the Agri-Mark cheese manufacturing facility in Chateaugay, helping New York continue to be the leading producer of milk in the Northeast. Most recently, the Governor announced Chobani, which opened its first U.S. plant in 2005 in New York, will build a 1.4 million square foot, $1.2 billion facility in Rome, Oneida County, capable of producing over one-billion pounds of high-quality dairy products per year. There are currently nearly 300 world-recognized dairy processing plants across New York.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “I thank Governor Hochul for her continued support of New York agriculture and our state’s dairy industry, which is so critical to our agricultural economy. Our dairy farmers and processors are second to none when it comes to the care they give to the land and their animals and the quality of their milk products. I am so pleased to see this funding being awarded to these deserving farms, who will now have the additional resources they need to ensure that they can continue to provide the very best milk and dairy products, and keep operations and the supply chain going, even in the event of severe weather or emergency events.”
Farm and Food Growth Fund President and CEO Todd Erling said, “New York State is the country’s fifth largest dairy producing state, with almost 3,000 farms. The majority are family-run and generational operations which this grant program largely benefits. Ensuring efficient and updated infrastructures will not only strengthen and safeguard the supply chain, but will also help to build forward-looking opportunities for the next generation of dairy farmers. Thanks to our hard working farm families, and with the support of Governor Hochul, New York continues to be a leader in our regional food system.”
Glory Days Farm Owners The Beyer Family said, “Our aspiration is for our farm and farms like ours to remain viable for future generations. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program gives farms like ours the opportunity to progress and innovate, and continue being the lifeblood of our communities. This program encourages the adoption of efficient technology that improves food safety with more consideration to environmental impacts, securing the future of dairy in New York.”
State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “New York is in the top five of dairy states producing some of the best products in the country. Dairy is our largest agricultural sector and a powerful contributor to our state and local economies, which is why supporting this leading industry is a major state priority. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program helps our dairy farmers and processors future-proof their operations, ensuring that New York dairy maintains its high standards while advancing efficiency and resiliency. I’m proud to have helped champion this grant program in our state agriculture budget and want to congratulate all of the local dairies and processors, including Uplands Farm in Millbrook, that received funding awards!”
Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, “In order for New York to maintain its prominence as a leading dairy state, we have to make important infrastructure investments. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program provides needed technology and upgrades for our dairy farms and cooperative dairies. I am thankful that all of our partners in state government recognize and support the hardworking men and women who make up New York’s largest agricultural sector.”
Northeast Dairy Producers Association Executive Vice President Tonya Van Slyke said, “For generations, New York’s family dairy farms have been leaders in progressive, science-based management practices that improve efficiencies in the barns, the fields, and the milking parlors, along with storing and transporting milk. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program helps address challenges family dairy farms face and will make a significant impact by providing solutions for increased on-farm milk storage capacity, new technology, and improved efficiencies in transportation for the farms that were awarded grant opportunities. We appreciate the Governor’s continued investment in our family dairy farms, as we work together to protect New York’s food security and cement the state’s position as a leader in dairy.”
New York State Farm Bureau President David Fisher said, “New York’s dairy industry is critical to the agricultural and economic health of our state. The Dairy Modernization Grant Program is not only a significant step in improving operations for farmers across New York, but also in making a commitment to agricultural sustainability. With Dairy Month upon us, we celebrate dairy farms of all sizes and the farmers who bring fresh, nutritious products to the table every day.”
About the Dairy Industry in New York State
New York State has roughly 3,000 dairy farms that produce over 16 billion pounds of milk annually, making New York the nation’s fifth-largest dairy state. The dairy industry is the state’s largest agricultural sector, contributing significantly to the state’s economy by generating nearly half of the state’s total agricultural receipts and providing some of the highest economic multipliers. New York’s unique and talented dairy producers and processors contribute significantly to the state’s agriculture industry, economy and the health of our communities.
Statement from Defence Secretary John Healey on the Strategic Defence Review.
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the Strategic Defence Review.
And I have laid the full 130-page review report first before this house. I am grateful to be able to make this statement on the first day back from recess.
Mr Speaker, the world has changed, and we must respond.
The SDR is our Plan for Change for Defence.
A plan to meet the threats we face.
A plan to step up on European Security and lead in NATO.
A plan that learns the lessons from Ukraine.
A plan to seize the defence dividend from our record increase in defence investment, to boost jobs and growth throughout the United Kingdom.
And a plan to put the men and women of our Armed Forces at the heart of our defence plans: better pay, better kit, better housing.
Through the SDR will make our Armed Forces stronger, and the British people safer.
I’d like to thank those who led the SDR… Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, General Barrons and Dr Fiona Hill.
“The politician, the soldier, and a foreign policy expert”, as they say themselves in their forward. Thye have put in a huge effort, alongside others.
This is a first-of-its-kind, externally led review.
A process, in which we received 8 000 submissions from experts, individuals, organisations, and MPs from across the House, including the Shadow Defence Secretary.
I thank them all – and I thank those in the MOD who have contributed to this SDR.
This is not just the government’s review it is Britain’s defence review.
And so, the government endorses the SDR’s vision, accepts its 62 recommendations, which will be implemented.
Mr Speaker, the threats we face is now more serious and less predictable than at any time since the of Cold War.
We face war in Europe, growing Russian aggression, new nuclear risks, and daily cyber-attacks at home.
Our adversaries are working more in alliance with one another, while technology is changing the way war is fought.
We are in a new era of threat, which demands a new era for UK Defence.
Mr Speaker, since the General Election we have demonstrated that we are a government dedicated to delivering for defence.
Committing the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War… £5 billion extra this year, 2.5% in 2027, the ambition to 3% in the next parliament.
Mr Speaker, there can be no investment without reform.
And so we are already driving also the deepest reforms to defence in 50 years.
And these will ensure clearer responsibilities, better delivery, stronger budget control and new efficiencies, worth £6 billion in this parliament, money all of which will be reinvested directly into defence.
Mr Speaker, our Armed Forces will always do what’s needed to keep the nation safe –24/7, in more than 50 countries around the world.
But in a more dangerous world, the SDR confirms that we must move to warfighting readiness.
Warfighting readiness means stronger deterrence.
We need stronger deterrence to avoid the huge costs, human and economic that wars create.
And we prevent wars by being strong enough to fight and win them. And that is what has made NATO the most successful defence alliance in history, over the last 75 years.
So Mr Speaker, we will establish a “New Hybrid Navy” by:
… building Dreadnought, AUKUS submarines, cutting-edge warships and new autonomous vessels.
Our carriers will carry the first hybrid airwings in Europe.
We will develop the next generation RAF with:
F35s, upgraded Typhoons, 6th Gen GCAP and autonomous fighters, to defend Britain’s skies and be able to strike anywhere in the world.
And we will make the British Army 10 times more lethal by:
Combining the future technology of drones, autonomy and AI with the heavy metal tanks and artillery.
Mr Speaker for too long, our Army has been asked to do more with less.
We inherited a long run recruitment crisis – [political content removed].
Reversing this decline will take time but we are acting to stem the loss now and aiming to increase the British Army to at least 76,000 full time soldiers in the next parliament.
Mr Speaker, for the first time in a generation, we are a government who want the number of regular soldiers to rise.
In our homeland, Mr Speaker, this a government that will protect our island home, we’ll do so by:
Committing £1bn in new funding to homeland air and missile defences, by creating a new CyberEM Command to defend Britain in the grey zone and by preparing legislation to improve defence readiness.
Mr. Speaker, as Ukraine shows a country’s armed forces are only as strong as the industry that stands behind them.
So this SDR begins a new partnership with industry, with innovators and with investors, we will make engine. We will make defence an engine for growth, an engine for growth to create jobs and increase prosperity in every nation and every region of the UK.
Take our nuclear enterprise.
We will commit 15 billion pounds in investment into the sovereign warhead programme in this Parliament, supporting over 9000 jobs. We will establish continuous submarine production through investments in Barrow and in Derby, that will allow us to produce a submarine every 18 months, allowing us to grow our nuclear attack submarine fleet to up to 12 submarines, supporting more than 20,000 jobs.
And on munitions, we will invest 6 billion pounds in this Parliament, including for six new munitions factories and up to 7000 new long-range weapons, supporting nearly 2000 jobs.
Mr. Speaker, the lives of workers in Barrow or Derby or Govan, where I was with the Prime Minister this morning, are being transformed, not just by this defence investment, but by the pride and purpose that comes with work that comes with defence work. And in the coming years, more communities and more working people will benefit from the defence dividend that this brings.
Mr. Speaker Ukraine also tells us that whoever gets new technology into the hands of their armed forces fastest will have the advantage. So we will place Britain at the leading edge of innovation in NATO.
We will double investment into autonomous systems this parliament. We will invest more than a billion pounds to integrate our armed forces through a new digital targeting web, and we will finance a £400 million UK Defence Innovation organization.
Mr. Speaker, to ensure that Britain gains the maximum benefit from what we invent and what we produce in this country, we will create a new defence exports office in the MOD, driving exports to our allies and driving growth at home.
Mr. Speaker, the SDR sets a new vision, a new framework for defence investment.
The work to confirm a new defence investment plan, superseding the last government’s defence equipment plan, will be completed in the autumn.
It will ensure our frontline forces get what they need when they need it.
The plan will be deliverable. It will be affordable. It will consider infrastructure alongside capabilities. It will seize the opportunities of advanced tech, and it will seize the opportunities to grow the British economy.
And Mr. Speaker, as we lose the national service generation, fewer families across this country have a direct connection to the armed forces. And so we must do more to reconnect the nation with those who defend us.
And so as the SDR recommends, we will increase the number of cadets by 30%, we will introduce a voluntary Gap Year scheme for school and college leavers, and we will develop a new strategic reserve by 2030.
Mr. Speaker, we must also renew the nation’s contract with those who serve. We’ve already awarded the biggest pay increase in over 20 years, an inflation busting increase this year. And now I’ve announced we will invest 7 billion pounds of funding this parliament for military accommodation, including 1.5 billion of new money for rapid work to deal with the scandal of military family homes.
Mr. Speaker, this SDR is the first defence review in a generation for growth and for transformation in UK defence. It will end 14 years of hollowing out in our armed forces, and instead, we will see investment increased, the Navy expanded, the army grown, the Air Force upgraded, war fighting readiness, restored, NATO strengthened, the nuclear deterrent, guaranteed advanced technology developed and jobs, jobs created. Jobs created in every nation, and region of this country. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Strategic Defence Review will make Britain, safer, more secure, at home, and stronger abroad.
The UK government wants to build more reservoirs like this one (Ladybower reservoir) in the Peak District Jon_Clark/Shutterstock
England is facing a water crisis. The UK government has just announced plans to fast-track two massive reservoir projects in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, warning that without them, we could run out of drinking water by the mid-2030s. But as a hydrologist who studies Britain’s often erratic weather patterns, I believe these reservoirs alone won’t solve our water problems.
No major reservoirs have been completed in England since 1992. But the rising population, housing developments and the construction of data centres which use large amounts of water as a coolant are putting intense pressure on our water supplies.
Meanwhile, climate change is bringing hotter, drier summers that increase the risk of drought, as a warmer atmosphere soaks up more water and moves it around in increasingly extreme patterns. This year’s arid spring has already pushed north-west England into official drought status.
The government’s solution is to build nine new reservoirs by 2050, potentially providing 670 million litres of extra water daily. The two fast-tracked projects in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire are pencilled for completion in 2036 and 2040 respectively. On paper, this sounds like a sensible response to a growing crisis.
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But here’s the problem: we’re thinking about water all wrong. We need a complete overhaul of the way we use water. We need to plug leaks, cut down on waste and use water more than once in our homes and buildings before sloshing it down the drain. We need to catch more water wherever it falls – not just in the river basins that are linked to big reservoirs.
Water companies lose billions of litres daily through leaky pipes. Some estimates suggest that around 20% of treated water never reaches taps because it seeps out of ageing infrastructure. Meanwhile, we’re planning to pump water across huge distances from new reservoirs to supply areas that could be managing their local water resources far more efficiently.
It would be better to make more difficult decisions around the regulation of new buildings, as well as retrofitting older homes and businesses, to cut waste and recycle water where it is used. This isn’t just about taking shorter showers or turning off taps as you brush your teeth – although these things do help.
We need systematic changes: building standards that require water recycling systems, tighter management of water-hungry developments in already dry areas and serious investment in our crumbling water infrastructure.
The reservoirs planned for Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire will take more than a decade to complete and will cost billions of pounds. In the UK, little research has been done to compare the costs of major infrastructure against a mass roll out of household-level water saving techniques.
Such schemes are rare in Europe. But evidence from historically water-scarce regions, such as parts of Australia, have shown that widely-adopted community and domestic water storage and recycling is cost effective. In the past, the approach in the UK and most European countries has followed a traditional model that often dates to Victorian times, or before.
These civic water supply and drainage systems were built to address public health crises and cut water-borne diseases across urban areas.
But an unprecedented climate calls for unprecedented solutions. These could include the widespread roll out of sustainable drainage solutions that mimic nature and capture rainwater where it falls, on roofs or ditches filled with plants, rather than letting it rush straight down the drains into the rivers.
Britain’s weather has always been variable, but it’s now extremely variable. We’ve experienced this seesaw pattern of drought followed by flooding, as seen in the contrast between dry and wet months seen over the past year.
This all-or-nothing rainfall pattern makes it even more important to capture and store water locally when we have it, rather than relying on large, centralised infrastructure that may be in the wrong place when extreme weather strikes.
The government’s decision to override local planning objections for these reservoir projects highlights another issue. Communities may be asked to sacrifice their land and landscapes for water infrastructure that primarily serves distant urban areas. This approach feels increasingly outdated when we could manage water more sustainably at the local level.
None of this means we don’t need new reservoirs. More water storage needs to be part of the solution. But while big reservoir projects may be politically attractive as they are visible examples of government action, they shouldn’t be our only solution, or even our primary one.
The climate crisis demands that we think differently about water. A warmer world shifts water from region to region more easily, causing problems by its presence or its absence. In the UK, we will increasingly have to treat water as a precious resource, to be more carefully managed wherever we find it.
Hannah Cloke advises the Environment Agency, the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, local and national governments and humanitarian agencies on the forecasting and warning of natural hazards. She is a member of the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and a fellow of the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts. Her research is funded by the UKRI Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Aaron Bean Florida (4th District)
WASHINGTON—With the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially underway, U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) is taking decisive action to combat crime during natural disasters with the introduction of the Law On Offender Transgressions During Emergencies and Recovery (LOOTER) Act. This timely legislation aims to protect communities from criminals who exploit disaster-stricken areas by imposing federal criminal penalties for theft during declared natural disasters.
Upon introduction, Congressman Bean said, “When disaster strikes, you should not have to choose between evacuating for your safety or safeguarding your property. This bill sends a clear message: We will not tolerate the exploitation of natural disaster victims. I’m proud to join Congressman Panetta in ensuring looters who prey on victims think twice before ever committing such heinous crimes.”
Congressman Bean was joined by Congressmen Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Troy Nehls (TX-22) in introducing this bill.
“As a former prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand how looting during emergencies only deepens the suffering of disaster victims,” said Rep. Panetta. “The LOOTER Act would ensure that those who prey on communities during times of crisis face serious consequences under federal law. Our bipartisan legislation is critical to better protecting disaster-stricken communities, supporting our local law enforcement partners, and sending a clear message that if you loot during a disaster, you will be held accountable.”
“During natural disasters, our communities are vulnerable—not just to the forces of nature, but also to the few bad actors who seek to exploit tragedy for personal gain. The LOOTER Act is about protecting our neighbors when they are at their weakest and holding criminals accountable,” said Rep. Suozzi. “I support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation because it ensures that in times of crisis, law and order will still prevail. We must send a clear message: If you steal from families during their darkest hour, you will be held responsible.”
“Texas’s 22nd Congressional District is prone to natural disasters that have had serious effects on our communities and lives,” said Rep. Nehls. “When Hurricane Harvey hit, I served as Sheriff of Fort Bend County, Texas, and know all too well how natural disasters leave people and their property vulnerable, especially to crime. This bill ensures accountability for those who take advantage of disaster and ensures justice for those who might fall victim to these low-life crimes. Thank you to Congressman Panetta for leading this important effort.”
BACKGROUND
The LOOTER Act proposes amendments to Title 18 of the U.S. Code, establishing clear federal penalties for larceny offenses committed in federally declared disaster areas. Under the bill, petty larceny during a disaster would be punishable by up to one year in prison, while grand larceny would result in up to five years behind bars.
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that a criminal complaint charging fourteen individuals was unsealed, and thirteen of the fourteen charged individuals have been arrested. Additionally, multiple search warrants were executed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and the Central District of California in coordination with the arrests. All the defendants are charged with narcotics trafficking, including fentanyl and cocaine, and two of the individuals, Osmar Venejas-Mejia and Hector Rodriguez-Villalobos, are charged with illegal reentry after removal from the United States.
The defendants charged in this law enforcement action are identified as follows:
Name Age Citizenship FERNANDO PALMA-JIMENEZ 49 Mexico DANIEL MORALEZ 37 USA CARMELO HERNANDEZ-RAMIREZ 40 Mexico LUIS QUINONEZ-HERNANDEZ 36 USA REYNALDO SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ 48 Mexico CARLOS PEREZ-SANTANA 32 Mexico EQUIEL MARTINEZ 39 Mexico GERARDO OSORIO-JARAMILLO 47 Mexico JESUS MEDINA-RODRIGUEZ 47 Mexico ERIK RODRIGUEZ 33 USA ANDREA ROA 30 Mexico HECTOR RODRIGUEZ-VILLALOBOS 35 Mexico OSMAR VENEJAS-MEJIA 34 Mexico JOSEPH MARINCIC 40 USA
According to the criminal complaint, between approximately March 2023 and the present, the fourteen defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and cocaine, and that multiple defendants possessed with intent to distribute controlled substances, distributed controlled substances, and used communication facilities to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances. If convicted, the penalties for the narcotics trafficking offenses carry maximum penalties of forty years to life in prison depending on the specific offense and weight of controlled substances charged.
The complaint also alleges that Osmar Venejas-Mejia and Hector Rodriguez-Villalobos, both Mexican nationals, were previously removed from the United States and unlawfully reentered the United States. If convicted, the penalties for the illegal reentry offense carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The defendants were charged based on a long-running investigation by law enforcement officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), in partnership with the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gail Hoffman and Elizabeth Monfils. Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the arrests and execution of search warrants related to the case, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshal Service (USMS), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Allis Police Department, the Brookfield Police Department, the Waukesha Police Department, the South Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department, Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, and Wisconsin State Patrol.
This case was charged as part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The public is cautioned that an indictment or criminal complaint is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King, alongside 14 of his colleagues, is urging the Trump Administration to swiftly reinstate terminated employees at the National Weather Service (NWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as Maine faces an unpredictable hurricane season ahead. In a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Acting Administrator of NOAA Laura Grimm, King and his fellow Senators emphasized that staff reductions at both agencies pose a threat to public safety and emergency preparedness by undercutting essential forecasting and weather monitoring systems. The Senators requested information on how the administration plans to address staffing at both agencies.
“NWS would be unable to provide accurate and timely forecasts without sufficient staffing levels at weather forecast offices nationwide. In addition to daily forecasting operations, weather forecast offices are responsible for issuing emergency weather warnings ahead of events such as major floods, wildfire hazards, hurricanes, and blizzard conditions,” wrote the Senators. “As the frequency and severity of such disasters increase, maintaining NWS’s real-time forecasting operations is essential to saving lives and reducing the cost of recovery for disaster-affected communities.”
The Senators continued: “NWS employees and the programs they support are essential to the safety of the millions of Americans impacted by storms and disasters each year. On February 27, 2025, 108 probationary NWS employees were terminated, adding to the 170 staff who accepted the Administration’s ‘deferred resignation’ plan earlier that month. These staffing cuts are already impacting NWS services, forcing NWS to halt weather balloon launches in New York, Maine and Alaska that provide daily weather data to meteorologists at weather forecast offices across the country.”
“As we head into hurricane season, 30 weather forecast offices are without a meteorologist-in-charge, one is completely without any managers at all, and nearly a dozen are preparing to shut down 24/7 services without immediate action to address shortages,” wrote the Senators. “We urge you to reassess the staffing needs at NOAA and NWS and reinstate terminated probationary employees swiftly.”
NWS maintains 122 weather forecast offices across the United States which are responsible for providing 24/7 weather monitoring and forecasts. The NWS Forecast Offices in Gray and Caribou are vital to providing Maine people across the state with information on how to prepare for and protect their families from flooding and extreme weather events. The Department of Commerce is reportedly planning to eliminate an additional 1,000 staff from NOAA, including at NWS, in the coming weeks. These cuts, combined with current staffing constraints, could reduce the NWS workforce by 15% just months into 2025. Maine fishermen have raised concerns about the layoffs which have impacted the fish management division and reliable data for weather forecasts.
In addition to Senator King, the letter was signed by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Brian Schatz (D-HI).
The full text of the letter is available here and below.
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Dear Secretary Lutnick, and Acting Administrator Grimm,
We write to express our concern with recent layoffs at the National Weather Service (NWS). Reports indicate that over 550 employees have been terminated or accepted deferred resignation offers. We believe that these staff reductions pose a threat to public safety and emergency preparedness by undercutting essential forecasting and weather monitoring systems. We urge you to reinstate terminated NWS employees and request additional information on how the administration plans to address staffing at NWS.
NWS maintains 122 weather forecast offices across the United States which are responsible for providing 24/7 weather monitoring and forecasts. NWS would be unable to provide accurate and timely forecasts without sufficient staffing levels at weather forecast offices nationwide. In addition to daily forecasting operations, weather forecast offices are responsible for issuing emergency weather warnings ahead of events such as major floods, wildfire hazards, hurricanes, and blizzard conditions. As the frequency and severity of such disasters increase, maintaining NWS’s real-time forecasting operations is essential to saving lives3and reducing the cost of recovery for disaster-affected communities.
NWS employees and the programs they support are essential to the safety of the millions of Americans impacted by storms and disasters each year. On February 27, 2025, 108 probationary NWS employees were terminated, adding to the 170 staff who accepted the Administration’s “deferred resignation” plan earlier that month. These staffing cuts are already impacting NWS services, forcing NWS to halt weather balloon launches in New York, Maine, and Alaska that provide daily weather data to meteorologists at weather forecast offices across the country. As we head into hurricane season, 30 weather forecast offices are without a meteorologist-in-charge, one is completely without any managers at all, and nearly a dozen are preparing to shut down 24/7 services without immediate action to address shortages.
The Department of Commerce is reportedly planning to eliminate an additional 1,000 staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including at NWS, in the coming weeks. All told, NWS offices, already suffering from staffing constraints, could see a 15% reduction in force just months into 2025.
We request a response to the following questions by June 10, 2025:
How many of the NWS regional weather forecast offices were impacted by terminations or deferred resignations since January 20, 2025? Please provide a list of affected offices, including how many staff departed and how many remain.
With reports of at least one weather forecast office in Goodland, Kansas stopping 24/7 operations due to staffing shortages, how do the Department of Commerce and NOAA plan to maintain continued 24/7 operation of forecasting offices without requiring excessive overtime hours from staff?
With a requested budget cut of $1.311 billion for NOAA’s overall budget, and a $209 million cut for NWS procurement of weather satellites and infrastructure9 , how does the Department of Commerce and NOAA plan to ensure adequate staffing and preparedness in the midst of worsening storm seasons, increasing heat waves, and changing weather patterns?
As NWS employees are critical to public safety, especially heading into hurricane season, will the Department of Commerce grant an exemption to the hiring freeze to fill these crucial positions?
We urge you to reassess the staffing needs at NOAA and NWS and reinstate terminated probationary employees swiftly. We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
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Nigel Farage’s plan to boost the profits of fossil fuel companies would destroy investment in the cheap, green renewable energy that Scotland needs, say the Scottish Greens.
The comments followed a press conference given by Farage, leader of Reform UK, in Aberdeen on Monday 2nd June.
Reform claimed that they would grant carte blanche to new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea, support fracking, and open new coal mines if in power. In 2024 nearly half of Reform’s donations were linked to climate denial and fossil fuel interests.
Whilst North Sea oil and gas licenses are reserved to the UK Government, powers over fracking licenses are devolved. The Scottish Parliament voted to ban fracking in Scotland in 2017, and the Scottish Government banned new coal mining in 2022.
Commenting further, Scottish Green spokesperson for Net Zero and Energy, Patrick Harvie said:
“Far from being an anti-establishment party, Reform has been courting donations from rich oil and gas moguls who profit from climate breakdown.
“So it’s no surprise that Farage and his cronies are desperate to do everything they can to shore up the astronomical profits of global corporate interests by promising a carte blanche to fossil fuel giants in the North Sea and across Scotland.
“Investing in clean, green renewable energy is our best defence against global oil and gas prices, ensuring proper energy security and lower bills.
“It’s also the best way to protect the long term job security of our world class energy workforce in Scotland – creating high paid, sustainable and secure jobs for decades to come. More than 47,000 people across Scotland are already employed directly or indirectly in the renewables industry in Scotland.
“Rather than being a party for the people, Reform are happy to stick to a broken energy system that is harmful for people and planet.
“Leaving fossil fuels in the ground and going green is the only way that we can ensure a liveable future for generations to come.”
