The Worst States For The Environment?

"10 States That'll Make Mother Nature Cry - Discover which US states are causing the most environmental damage through pollution, deforestation, and poor conservation practices. 

"From Arkansas's water pollution to Indiana's coal-powered problems, we're exposing the harsh reality of environmental negligence across America. Watch as we countdown the worst environmental offenders, featuring shocking facts about toxic rivers, air pollution, and failed recycling programs. Did you know a river in Ohio actually caught fire? Or that Texas's massive oil industry is creating 'choking hazards' air quality problems? These aren't just environmental issues - they're affecting real people's lives every day. 

States covered: 

• Arkansas: The "Natural State" with unnatural problems 

• Illinois: Where rivers turn green (and not just on St. Patrick's Day) 

• Kentucky: Home of coal mining disasters 

• Tennessee: Where environmental regulations take a back seat 

• Texas: Big state, bigger pollution problems 

• West Virginia: Mountains aren't the only thing being removed 

• Ohio: Rivers that used to catch fire 

• Alabama: Environmental nightmare central 

• Louisiana: Where the bayous meet toxic waste 

• Indiana: The surprising #1 worst offender"

Click on the link below for the video:

Trash States: Where the Environment Goes to Die

B Corp Certification: Why Is It Not Better Known?

"B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. In order to achieve certification, a company must: 

• Demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing our risk review. Multinational corporations must also meet baseline requirement standards. 

• Make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in their jurisdiction. 

• Exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Lab’s standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Lab’s website.  

"As leaders in the movement for economic systems change, B Corps reap remarkable benefits. They build trust with consumers, communities, and suppliers; attract and retain employees; and draw mission-aligned investors. As they are required to undergo the verification process every three years in order to recertify, B Corps are by definition also focused on continuous improvement, leading to their long-term resiliency. 

 

"B Corp Certification is holistic, not exclusively focused on a single social or environmental issue. And the process to achieve and maintain certification is rigorous and requires engaging teams and departments across your company. Taking company size and profile into account, verification involves documentation of your company’s business model and information about your operations, structure, and various work processes, as well as review of potential public complaints and possible site visits. Recertification confirms these standards continue to be met on an ongoing basis. Read more in our FAQs."

Measuring a company’s entire social and environmental impact

Greenwashing

"Many companies try to appear environmentally friendly without making a real difference, a strategy that’s been dubbed 'greenwashing'. So, is calling a product or service 'eco-friendly' just a ploy of companies to get more money out of us? What are the consequences for climate change? And how can we spot those fake claims? That’s what we’ll talk about today."

Click on the link below for another excellent video by Sabine Hossenfelder, this time presenting the pros and cons of corporate efforts to address environmental problems:

Greenwashing: How common is it, and how can you avoid it?

The Sixth Mass Extinction

"A mass extinction is a short period of geological time in which a high percentage of biodiversity, or distinct species—bacteria, fungi, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates—dies out. In this definition, it’s important to note that, in geological time, a ‘short’ period can span thousands or even millions of years. The planet has experienced five previous mass extinction events, the last one occurring 65.5 million years ago which wiped out the dinosaurs from existence. Experts now believe we’re in the midst of a sixth mass extinction.

"Unlike previous extinction events caused by natural phenomena, the sixth mass extinction is driven by human activity, primarily (though not limited to) the unsustainable use of land, water and energy use, and climate change." (link)

Presently, the Earth is experiencing its highest temperature in 120,000 years. To put that in perspective, at that time, most modern humans (Homo Sapiens Sapiens) were only living in Africa and had human cousins to deal with. If you think that this is no big deal, you are not listening to science experts dealing with the state of the Earth and humanity. Click on the links below to get a perspective regarding THE existential crisis facing our reality:

What is the sixth mass extinction and what can we do about it?

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

Earth's sixth mass extinction event underway, scientists warn

How humans are driving the sixth mass extinction

Overpopulation: Is It The Real Issue?

"Today, we take a look at the dubious, ideologically-driven debate between overpopulation being a danger to the future of humanity and it being a dangerous myth obscuring the real issue of over-consumption."

Click on the link below for insight into the issue:

The overpopulation debate is more philosophical than empirical

Trash And Pollution

"Heather and Joanne discuss how the aftermath of the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio resembles past American debates over the handling of waste. They talk about New York City’s 19th-century sanitation pigs, the rise of the “Garbage Ladies” in Progressive Era Chicago, and the long shadow of the 1978 Love Canal crisis."

Click on the link below for a podcast delving into the constant problem of dealing with the waste from our progress:

Trash and Pollution: Who Pays?

A Complete View Of Electric Vehicles (EV)?

"Electric cars (or electric vehicles, EVs) have a smaller environmental footprint than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). * While aspects of their production can induce similar, less or alternative environmental impacts, they produce little or no tailpipe emissions, and reduce dependence on petroleum, greenhouse gas emissions, and health effects from air pollution.[2][3][4][5] Electric motors are significantly more efficient than internal combustion engines and thus, even accounting for typical power plant efficiencies and distribution losses,[6] less energy is required to operate an EV. * Manufacturing batteries for electric cars require additional resources and energy, so they may have a larger environmental footprint from the production phase.[7][8] EVs also generate different impacts in their operation and maintenance. EVs are typically heavier and could produce more tire, brake, and road dust air pollution, but their regenerative braking could reduce such particulate pollution from brakes.[9] EVs are mechanically simpler, which reduces the use and disposal of engine oil." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_footprint_of_electric_cars)

* The Environmental Downside of Electric Vehicles: Unfortunately, this tends to be overlooked regarding their environmental impact and costs. 

• NOTE: This article is written by a member of FEE (the Foundation for Economic Education), which is " Right-Center biased based on left-leaning views regarding social issues and far-right views on economics. We also rate them as Mostly Factual in reporting rather than high due to not fully supporting the scientific consensus regarding climate change." (link) 

- - - - - - -

Regarding the tools and materials used in the battle against climate change, there are many factors involved, with some of their effects known and others unknown. Thus, progressives don't necessarily have all of the answers on climate change mitigation.

The Truth About Electric Cars

"If it seems that there are too many Skeptoid episodes about electric cars this year, that's because it's a show about popular myths. And hardly any topic is more timely and popular as electric cars. We have states (and whole nations) requiring that increasing percentages of new car sales be for zero-emission vehicles. We have climate-driven heat waves putting extraordinary demand on power grids. We have an election year, when misinformation and disinformation tend to take over the news. So, yeah, electric cars are a hot topic right now. And they are the subject of one of the most common new claims: that as electric cars become more and more ubiquitous, power grids will not be able to keep up with the increased demand, and everything will go to heck. Or something. Is it true?"

Click on the link below for the details:

Electric Cars and the Power Grid

Carbon Offsets: An Expose'

There's hardly a major corporation that is not touting its involvement in Carbon Offsets. However, click on the following links for an objective look at a financial tool that leaves a lot of questions unanswered:

Carbon Offsets: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Carbon Offsets Are A Scam

Not all carbon offsets are a scam, but many are

Carbon offsets used by major airlines based on flawed systems, warn experts

Carbon Offsets: Government Warns of Fraud Risk

Why carbon offsetting doesn't cut it

Another Look At Nuclear Energy

"Nuclear power may not be as bad as you think. If we used Thorium instead of Uranium, we could greatly decrease dangerous radioactive by-products. There is enough Thorium in the world to meet all our energy needs for over 1000 years."

In the USA, there is an interesting situation regarding nuclear energy: the political Left more than the Right tends to reject it. Click on the link below for the pros and cons of an alternative source for nuclear energy:

It's time to rethink Nuclear Power! 

Microplastics: Are They An Environmental Hazard?

One has to be living without any outside communication with reality to not know that efforts to clean up the environment are growing exponentially. Included in such are plastics. While visible plastics are, indeed, a problem, there are also microplastics that are not seen by the naked eye that many think are also an environmental and health problem. Click on the link below for what science shows on the topic:

Skeptoid Podcast # 4806

Systemic Environmental Racism

" Study after study shows communities of color are exposed to more air and water pollution, lead poisoning and toxic waste than more affluent, white neighborhoods."

Don't accept the ignorance of conservatives regarding systemic racism (or anything else evil coming from them). Click on the link below for more:

The Toll of Environmental Racism

Clearcutting Of Forests: The Pros And Cons

"Today we're going to dig into an emotionally charged issue, the clearcutting method of logging, which leaves the forest stripped clean of trees and everything else. It raises anger among anti-logging activists who want the forests left natural, and that causes conflict with the loggers who note the activists still expect to fill their lives with wood and paper products. Some believe clearcutting is merely a lazy and destructive tool of the greedy who couldn't care less what the forests look like, or whether it can ever recover, so long as they can extract every last penny from it. Today we're going to find out whether clearcutting is truly as destructive as the activists think, or whether it's as necessary as the loggers say, or whether there's a bit of truth on both sides. Because whatever your position, it's to everyone's advantage for that position to be better informed by the best data we have." 

Click on the link below for a science-based look at the issue:

All About Clearcutting

A Science-Based Look At Plastic Grocery Bags

"All around the world, bans on plastic carryout bags are being passed faster than you can keep track, especially in western countries like the United States where environmental sentiment is most prolific. The idea behind the bans is simple and self-evident: a reduction in waste and litter, and a corresponding reduction in associated environmental impacts like greenhouse gases. At first glance, it seems like a perfectly rational step. Shoppers will turn to lower-impact options like reusable bags or easily-recyclable paper bags. The environment will benefit. Or will it? For it turns out that, from end-to-end, virtually every single belief that informs these bans is based on misinformation; and as a result, bans on plastic carryout bags do more harm than good."

The Trashy Secret of Plastic Bag Bans

A Scholarly Look At Veganism

Periodically I come in contact with fellow science-based thinkers proselytizing for Veganism.  I have posted on the subject in the past.  This post will present recent literature from scholarly sources. As you may have deduced from my other posts, I haven't committed myself to veganism for a variety of reasons and, since there is much disagreement by thinking people on the subject, I just support a diet primarily based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and moderate quantities of minimally processed meats (preferably grass-fed if applicable) produced humanely.

More Than Just A Diet: An Inquiry Into Veganism

Vegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies

Environmental impact of omnivorous, ovo-lacto-vegetarian, and vegan diet

The long-term health of vegetarians and vegans

Why Vegan Diets Suck

The Impacts of Dietary Change on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Land Use, Water Use, and Health: A Systematic Review

16 Studies on Vegan Diets — Do They Really Work?

Going Vegan isn't the Most Sustainable Option for Humanity

Sorry, But Giving Up on Meat Is Not Going to Save The Planet

An Example Of EPA Anti-Science

While most of the developed world, including the USA historically, accept the preponderance of the evidence that a form of pesticides commonly referred to as neonics are harmful to bees and other pollinators, as well as birds and aquatic invertebrates (link, link), the US EPA, under the Trump administration through Scott Pruitt, is stalling to implement even the recommendations of its own scientists (link).

A Challenge To Steven Pinker's Ideas Regarding The Progress Of Humanity

Steven Pinker is known for his historical account of the progress of humanity and well-being.  However, in this lengthy essay, Jeremy Lent delves into the many opinions of Pinker and gives the "Progressive" point of view. Sometimes we assume causation when all we really are looking at is correlation.

Steven Pinker’s Ideas About Progress Are Fatally Flawed

 

 

Why Environmentalism Is Important

"Human sovereignty over the environment is a double-edged sword. For instance, on the one hand, advances in science and technology have caused deaths from infectious diseases to plummet around the world. But on the other hand, pollution causes chronic diseases that erode both our health and life spans. Reducing exposure to these noxious environmental factors is a major goal of global public health."

Globally, About 1 in 4 Human Deaths Are Due to Environmental Factors

The Coming Population Bust

"A new kind of research and theory is required for a world of zero population growth, albeit one that both acknowledges and avoids the often-catastrophic legacies of past demographic thinking."

The Politics and Ecology of Zero Population Growth

The DDT Facts

"DDT facts and myths have been part of our shared environmental consciousness for two generations. Most of our beliefs about DDT, a powerful insecticide long-banned by most countries, came from Rachel Carson’s best selling book, Silent Spring, published over 50 years ago."

Again, massive application to farmland is not ever going to be considered – but careful use to control mosquitos? Sure.