In this week’s Eco Report feature, Robyn Skuya-Boss, Chapter Director with the Sierra Club in Indiana, will be talking about the Duke Energy Rate Increase Case.

The New York Times reports the Biden administration on Friday tightened vehicle fuel mileage standards, part of its strategy to transform the American auto market into one that is dominated by electric vehicles that do not emit the pollution that is heating the planet. The new mileage standards announced by the Transportation Department are among several regulations the administration is using to prod carmakers to produce more electric vehicles.

In April, the Environmental Protection Agency issued strict new limits on tailpipe pollution that are designed to ensure that the majority of new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States are all-electric or hybrids by 2032, up from 7.6 percent last year. In addition to the regulations, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, championed by President Biden, provides tax credits for buyers of new and used electric vehicles, along with incentives for charging stations and grants and loans for manufacturers. 

The push for more EVs comes as the world’s leading climate experts say that retiring the internal combustion engine is critical to staving off the most deadly effects of global warming. Thus far, the shift to EVs is going slowly, and several manufacturers are laying off employees.

Ospreys are primarily found along streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs where they forage for fish.  The osprey’s main prey is fish. This bird is the only raptor to plunge into the water for prey. Usually, the osprey will hover 30 – 100 feet above the water watching for fish. When a fish is spotted, the osprey dives feet first into the water and is often momentarily under the surface of the water. Once capturing the fish, the osprey leaves the water, shakes the water from its feathers and positions the fish in its talons so that the fish’s head faces forward. This decreases wind resistance as the osprey flies.

Ospreys are reported to be able to carry up to 2.25 pounds, but most fish are in the 0.5 lb. range and are 5-15″ in length. They occasionally eat rodents, birds, small vertebrates and crustaceans. To feed their young, adult ospreys tear off small pieces of fish when the chicks are very young and adjust size as they get older. A brood of three chicks requires nearly two pounds of fish daily. From 1930 to 1975, osprey nesting was only noted in four counties in Indiana: Morgan, Parke, Porter and Posey. The use of DDT had virtually wiped out osprey elsewhere in the state. At the beginning of the 21st century, osprey populations in the Midwest had been growing slowly, but nests were widely scattered.

Reintroductions enhanced local and regional populations. From 2003 to 2006, DFW wildlife biologists obtained 96 young ospreys from nests in coastal areas of Virginia and raised and released them at four locations in Indiana: Jasper-Pulaski Fish & Wildlife Area, Tri-County Fish & Wildlife Area, and Patoka Lake. Each site received eight birds in June of three consecutive years. Birds were held for one to five weeks and released from mid-June to mid-July. Locally obtained fish (primarily gizzard shad, carp, white sucker and yellow perch) were provided at release sites as late as early September. As a result of this effort and the installation of nesting platforms in a partnership between the Indiana DNR and private groups and individuals, Indiana’s osprey population has shown steady growth.

Several nest sites were erected a few years ago at Lake Monroe and the osprey are doing well. No nesting sites have been built at Lake Lemon. Osprey visit the lake every spring, but move on to waters with nesting sites.  In 2018, after more than 3 years of at least 50 nest territories, the Osprey was down-listed from state endangered to special concern. In 2020, over 100 Osprey nests were found in Indiana.

The New York Times reports that when President Biden signed the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, it was expected to set off a boom in renewable energy, with hefty tax breaks that would make solar and wind power cheaper than fossil fuels. So far, however, that dream has only come partly true. Solar panel installations are indeed soaring to record highs in the United States, as are batteries that can store energy for later. But wind power has struggled, both on land and in the ocean.

The country is now adding less wind capacity each year than before the law was passed.  Some factors behind the wind industry’s recent slowdown may be temporary, such as snarled supply chains. But wind power is also more vulnerable than solar power to many of the biggest logistical hurdles that hinder energy projects today: a lack of transmission lines, a lengthy permitting process and a growing backlash against new projects in many communities.

If wind power continues to stagnate, that could make the fight against global warming much harder, experts say. Many plans for quickly shifting the country away from fossil fuels envision a large expansion of both solar and wind, because the two sources generate electricity at different hours and can complement each other. A boom in solar power alone, which runs only in daytime, isn’t enough.

In a disconcerting update from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency revealed that bleaching has affected nearly two-thirds of the world’s coral reefs due to significant heat stress in just the past year. As of now, an alarming 60.5% of coral reefs globally have been impacted by this phenomenon, and unfortunately, this percentage is on the rise.  This mass bleaching is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing trend exacerbated by climate change and a recent El Niño event, which have collectively driven ocean temperatures to unprecedented highs.

We are seeing ocean temperatures that are very extreme in nature, expressed Derek Manzello, coordinator of NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch.  Coral bleaching occurs when corals, under stress, expel the symbiotic algae residing in their tissues — algae that provide essential nutrients through photosynthesis. This expulsion turns the corals pale and greatly heightens their vulnerability to starvation and disease.

Furthermore, the gravity of the current situation is underscored by historical comparisons. The last major global bleaching event, spanning from 2014 to 2017, affected 56.1% of the world’s reefs, while earlier events in 1998 and 2010 impacted 20% and 35% of reefs, respectively. Although the current event has impacted a broader area, Derek Manzello notes that the 2014-2017 episode remains the most severe on record, owing to its duration and intensity.  However, the ongoing 2023-2024 event may soon exceed it in severity.

The Caribbean reefs have been particularly hard-hit, with a staggering 99.7% of the Atlantic basin’s reefs experiencing bleaching-level heat stress in the past year. The Atlantic Ocean has been off the charts, Manzello highlighted. A recent study indicated severe coral mortality, ranging between 50% and 93%, in areas like Huatulco, Oaxaca, along the Mexican Pacific.  The situation appears grim as we approach the summer, with heat stress already accumulating in the Southern Caribbean.

Alarmingly, the thresholds for bleaching have been crossed much earlier in the year than ever before. This is alarming because this has never happened so early in the year before, Manzello warns. It may be futile to attempt to save existing coral reefs. Perhaps the better approach is to develop new corals that thrive in high temperature waters. Coral reefs thrived long ago, when temperatures were far higher. The fossil corals on Lake Champlain are the oldest known, dating back to 480 million years ago.

In this weeks feature, Robyn Skuya-Boss, Chapter Director with the Sierra Club in Indiana, will be talking about the Duke Energy Rate Increase Case.

Credits:

On Air………………………………..Julianna Dailey

Eco Report is  looking for reporters, engineers, and segment producer to report facts on how we’re all affected by global climate disruption and the ongoing assaults on our air, land and water. We also celebrate ecologists, tree huggers, soil builders and other champions who actively protect and restore our natural world, particularly those who are active in south central Indiana. All levels of experience and all ages are welcome, and we provide the training you’ll need. WFHB also offers internships. To volunteer for Eco Report, call at (812) 323-1200, or e-mail [email protected].