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Eco Report – October 13, 2023
Hello and welcome to Eco Report. For WFHB, I’m Julianna Dailey. And I’m Cynthia Roberts. Coming up in this edition of Eco Report, we have Part Two of a conversation between Environmental Correspondent Zyro Roze and eco architect Mark Lakeman on the human ecology of place making and building tiny home ecovillages for the unhoused community.
And now for your environmental reports:
Inside Climate Change brings up an issue rarely discussed. Religious beliefs may play an important role in whether someone believes humans are warming the planet by burning fossil fuels, new polls found. The findings come as Pope Francis released his latest papal letter, rebuking the “irresponsible lifestyle” of Westerners and chastising those who try to delay efforts to address the climate crisis or deny its very existence.
“Despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident,” Francis wrote in his exhortation released Wednesday, urging world leaders to do far more to address global warming ahead of the COP28 climate talks next month. No one can ignore the fact that in recent years we have witnessed extreme weather phenomena, frequent periods of unusual heat, drought and other cries of protest. Apparently red states haven’t received the memo. Many candidates for the upcoming election make sure to emphasize how fervently they endorse coal.
—Norm Holy
Europe just launched the world’s first carbon tariff. Will the United States follow suit? Inside Climate Change reports companies that want to do business in the European Union will soon have to pay extra if the carbon footprints of their products are too high. The EU officially began phase one of its carbon tariff. The first-of-its-kind tax scheme could help reduce the climate-warming emissions of industries that are notoriously hard to decarbonize, including cement and steel manufacturing.
Under the EU’s new policy, foreign companies must now report all the greenhouse gas emissions associated with certain imported goods: cement, steel, iron, aluminum, fertilizers, hydrogen fuel and electricity. Starting in 2026, any of those imports that don’t meet the bloc’s emissions standards will face an additional fee when crossing the border. Other goods will be considered for the tax in the coming years, the European Commission said.
The tax policy has drawn criticism from countries like China and Russia, which argue it undermines the principles of free trade and worsens geopolitical tensions. Supporters say the program is necessary to put EU companies on an even playing field with nations that have lower environmental standards. They also say it will incentivize industries to more quickly reduce their carbon emissions and encourage other countries to follow suit by adopting their own carbon tariffs.
—Norm Holy
The fossil fuel industry makes sure that it will thrive even as ending the burning of fossil fuels is seen as necessary to avoid melting most of the world’s ice. The New York Times reports the Biden administration announced Friday it would lease a handful of spots in the Gulf of Mexico to oil companies for drilling over the next five years, a move that angered Republicans, the fossil fuel industry and climate activists alike.
The administration said oil and gas companies would be able to drill in just three new areas in the Gulf between 2024 and 2029, the smallest number of lease sales offered since the federal drilling program began decades ago. Under a new law, the government must offer leases for oil drilling before it can invite developers to build wind farms in federal waters. Producing clean electricity from wind turbines is one of President Biden’s top priorities as he tries to reduce the fossil fuel pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.
—Norm Holy
Eco Report has aired stories about the status of the coral reefs in Florida throughout the summer. Now that summer is over it’s time check out how the reefs are doing. Vox was launched in 2014; it is a news website that specializes in explanatory journalism.
VOX reports In the last three months, a marine heat wave has been cooking the Caribbean, breaking down the relationship between coral and those symbiotic algae. Some shallow buoys in South Florida registered temperatures in excess of —100 F degrees in July, about as warm as a hot tub. And for weeks on end, reefs in the Florida Keys, the largest coral reef in the continental US, were soaking in 90-plus degree water. That’s well beyond the threshold for bleaching in this region.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in this area, period,” said Ian Enochs, a coral biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who’s been monitoring Florida’s reefs for more than a decade. This mass bleaching event has made an already bad situation worse. Well before summer, the area of healthy reefs in the Florida Keys had already declined by 90 percent, due to past heat waves, diseases, ocean acidification, and other threats. The majority of Florida’s reefs that remain, meanwhile, are eroding.
The bleached corals are an ongoing tragedy: Across the Florida Keys and throughout much of the Caribbean, coral reefs have bleached and many of them are dying. Some of these starving corals are literally centuries old. Others were planted recently to revive the reefs, and their bleaching represents a devastating setback for coral restoration. Forecasters are predicting the el nino event will continue into the summer of 2024. Thus, it would appear that any corals that survive bleaching this year will be weakened going into next year’s bleaching. Now the emphasis is on developing corals that are better able to tolerate high water temperatures. This could take several years.
—Norm Holy
The Center for Biological Diversity and allies just sued the U.S. Forest Service for approving a massive timber sale on the border of Yellowstone National Park. The project would commercially log more than 12,000 acres and clearcut more than 5,500 acres, destroying habitat for grizzly bears and lynx. But the Forest Service failed to properly study how it threatens those species — not to mention the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the climate.
We know our continued existence relies in part on preserving our planet’s remaining forests and protecting threatened species, said the Center’s Kristine Akland. “This project is completely out of step with both those urgent needs. We’re committed to stopping this devastating project before one tree is cut.”
U.S. government agencies are expected to quantify the climate impact of their actions under new guidance issued by President Joe Biden’s administration. But the U.S. Forest Service decided to move forward with a logging project on the border of Yellowstone National Park without applying the new White House guidance, which would have involved a detailed projection of the resulting greenhouse gas emissions.
—Norm Holy
What is the outlook for the coming winter? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has made a prediction. 2023 will almost certainly be either the warmest or second-warmest year on human record after 2016, NOAA scientists said. El Niño conditions, which release additional heat into the atmosphere and are associated with warmer years on average, are expected to last at least through the northern hemisphere winter. It’s entirely possible that 2024 could be even warmer than 2023. The atmospheric carbon dioxide is now growing at the fastest rate ever recorded.
—Norm Holy
And now, we turn to Zyro Roze and Part Two of his interview with village builder Mark Lakeman of Communitecture about how to adress poverty, homelessness, pollution and social isolation by creating tiny home ecovillages with collective resourcing and jobs programs. They discuss how Bloomington can learn from how models like Dignity Village and Veterans Village in Oregon have become self sustaining green business incubators that employ residents, allowing them to accrue savings while they pay a minimal amount to help maintain operations.
The full interview is available online as an Eco Report EXTRA in the archive of programs produced by Firehouse Broadcasting on our website at WFHB.org.
For Eco Report, I am Julianna Dailey. And, I am Cynthia Roberts. Are you looking for a way to make a difference on environmental issues? Here at Eco Report we are currently looking for reporters, engineers, and segment producers. Our goal is 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 an assortment of 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, give us a call at (812) 323-1200, or e-mail us at: [email protected].
And now for some upcoming events:
Help plant native trees to reforest the old field at the Ferguson Dog Park located at 4300 N. Stone Mill Road in Bloomington on Saturday, October 14th, from 10 am to 1 pm. This Fall Native Tree Planting will help migrating birds, pollinators, small animals and native plants. Help make a difference. Register at bloomington.in.gov/parks.
Join the Uplands Network Chapter of the Sierra Club on Saturday, October 14th, from 9 am to Noon for a hike along the Scarce O’Fat Trail in Yellowwood State Park. Bring your own water.
Learn all about the edible bounty of the forest during a Fall Foraging leisurely walk through the RCA Community Park on Sunday, October 15th, from Noon to 2 pm. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Register at bloomington.IN.gov/parks.
Help with Trash Cleanup at the Dam at Monroe Lake on Monday, October 16th, beginning at 10:30 am. After checking in, you will be picking up trash around the dam, spillway, tailwater, and surrounding area. Wear closed toed shoes and bring water. Sign up at bit.ly/2023-cleanup-dam.
Leave the Leaves (and Do Less Yard Work!) workshop is scheduled for Thursday, October 19th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Willie Streeter Community Gardens. Pollinators and other invertebrates require fallen leaves for shelter over winter. We need pollinators for our food! So, leave the leaves! Sign up at bloomington.IN.gov/parks.
And that wraps up our show for this week. Eco Report is brought to you in part by M-P-I Solar, a Bloomington business specializing in solar hot water, solar electricity and solar hot air systems. M-P-I Solar designs and installs solar power generation systems that encourage independence and individual responsibility. Found locally at 812-334-4003 and on the Web at MPIsolarenergy.com.
This week’s headlines were written by Norm Holy. Today’s news feature was produced by Zyro Roze and edited by Noelle Herhusky-Schneider. Julianna Dailey assembled the script which was edited by Zyro Roze. Julianna Dailey compiled our events calendar. Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider produced today’s show. Branden Blewett is our engineer. For WFHB, I’m Julianna Dailey. And I am Cynthia Roberts. And this is Eco Report.
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By WFHB Local News
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Hello and welcome to Eco Report. For WFHB, I’m Julianna Dailey. And I’m Cynthia Roberts. Coming up in this edition of Eco Report, we have Part Two of a conversation between Environmental Correspondent Zyro Roze and eco architect Mark Lakeman on the human ecology of place making and building tiny home ecovillages for the unhoused community.
And now for your environmental reports:
Inside Climate Change brings up an issue rarely discussed. Religious beliefs may play an important role in whether someone believes humans are warming the planet by burning fossil fuels, new polls found. The findings come as Pope Francis released his latest papal letter, rebuking the “irresponsible lifestyle” of Westerners and chastising those who try to delay efforts to address the climate crisis or deny its very existence.
“Despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident,” Francis wrote in his exhortation released Wednesday, urging world leaders to do far more to address global warming ahead of the COP28 climate talks next month. No one can ignore the fact that in recent years we have witnessed extreme weather phenomena, frequent periods of unusual heat, drought and other cries of protest. Apparently red states haven’t received the memo. Many candidates for the upcoming election make sure to emphasize how fervently they endorse coal.
—Norm Holy
Europe just launched the world’s first carbon tariff. Will the United States follow suit? Inside Climate Change reports companies that want to do business in the European Union will soon have to pay extra if the carbon footprints of their products are too high. The EU officially began phase one of its carbon tariff. The first-of-its-kind tax scheme could help reduce the climate-warming emissions of industries that are notoriously hard to decarbonize, including cement and steel manufacturing.
Under the EU’s new policy, foreign companies must now report all the greenhouse gas emissions associated with certain imported goods: cement, steel, iron, aluminum, fertilizers, hydrogen fuel and electricity. Starting in 2026, any of those imports that don’t meet the bloc’s emissions standards will face an additional fee when crossing the border. Other goods will be considered for the tax in the coming years, the European Commission said.
The tax policy has drawn criticism from countries like China and Russia, which argue it undermines the principles of free trade and worsens geopolitical tensions. Supporters say the program is necessary to put EU companies on an even playing field with nations that have lower environmental standards. They also say it will incentivize industries to more quickly reduce their carbon emissions and encourage other countries to follow suit by adopting their own carbon tariffs.
—Norm Holy
The fossil fuel industry makes sure that it will thrive even as ending the burning of fossil fuels is seen as necessary to avoid melting most of the world’s ice. The New York Times reports the Biden administration announced Friday it would lease a handful of spots in the Gulf of Mexico to oil companies for drilling over the next five years, a move that angered Republicans, the fossil fuel industry and climate activists alike.
The administration said oil and gas companies would be able to drill in just three new areas in the Gulf between 2024 and 2029, the smallest number of lease sales offered since the federal drilling program began decades ago. Under a new law, the government must offer leases for oil drilling before it can invite developers to build wind farms in federal waters. Producing clean electricity from wind turbines is one of President Biden’s top priorities as he tries to reduce the fossil fuel pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.
—Norm Holy
Eco Report has aired stories about the status of the coral reefs in Florida throughout the summer. Now that summer is over it’s time check out how the reefs are doing. Vox was launched in 2014; it is a news website that specializes in explanatory journalism.
VOX reports In the last three months, a marine heat wave has been cooking the Caribbean, breaking down the relationship between coral and those symbiotic algae. Some shallow buoys in South Florida registered temperatures in excess of —100 F degrees in July, about as warm as a hot tub. And for weeks on end, reefs in the Florida Keys, the largest coral reef in the continental US, were soaking in 90-plus degree water. That’s well beyond the threshold for bleaching in this region.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in this area, period,” said Ian Enochs, a coral biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who’s been monitoring Florida’s reefs for more than a decade. This mass bleaching event has made an already bad situation worse. Well before summer, the area of healthy reefs in the Florida Keys had already declined by 90 percent, due to past heat waves, diseases, ocean acidification, and other threats. The majority of Florida’s reefs that remain, meanwhile, are eroding.
The bleached corals are an ongoing tragedy: Across the Florida Keys and throughout much of the Caribbean, coral reefs have bleached and many of them are dying. Some of these starving corals are literally centuries old. Others were planted recently to revive the reefs, and their bleaching represents a devastating setback for coral restoration. Forecasters are predicting the el nino event will continue into the summer of 2024. Thus, it would appear that any corals that survive bleaching this year will be weakened going into next year’s bleaching. Now the emphasis is on developing corals that are better able to tolerate high water temperatures. This could take several years.
—Norm Holy
The Center for Biological Diversity and allies just sued the U.S. Forest Service for approving a massive timber sale on the border of Yellowstone National Park. The project would commercially log more than 12,000 acres and clearcut more than 5,500 acres, destroying habitat for grizzly bears and lynx. But the Forest Service failed to properly study how it threatens those species — not to mention the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the climate.
We know our continued existence relies in part on preserving our planet’s remaining forests and protecting threatened species, said the Center’s Kristine Akland. “This project is completely out of step with both those urgent needs. We’re committed to stopping this devastating project before one tree is cut.”
U.S. government agencies are expected to quantify the climate impact of their actions under new guidance issued by President Joe Biden’s administration. But the U.S. Forest Service decided to move forward with a logging project on the border of Yellowstone National Park without applying the new White House guidance, which would have involved a detailed projection of the resulting greenhouse gas emissions.
—Norm Holy
What is the outlook for the coming winter? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has made a prediction. 2023 will almost certainly be either the warmest or second-warmest year on human record after 2016, NOAA scientists said. El Niño conditions, which release additional heat into the atmosphere and are associated with warmer years on average, are expected to last at least through the northern hemisphere winter. It’s entirely possible that 2024 could be even warmer than 2023. The atmospheric carbon dioxide is now growing at the fastest rate ever recorded.
—Norm Holy
And now, we turn to Zyro Roze and Part Two of his interview with village builder Mark Lakeman of Communitecture about how to adress poverty, homelessness, pollution and social isolation by creating tiny home ecovillages with collective resourcing and jobs programs. They discuss how Bloomington can learn from how models like Dignity Village and Veterans Village in Oregon have become self sustaining green business incubators that employ residents, allowing them to accrue savings while they pay a minimal amount to help maintain operations.
The full interview is available online as an Eco Report EXTRA in the archive of programs produced by Firehouse Broadcasting on our website at WFHB.org.
For Eco Report, I am Julianna Dailey. And, I am Cynthia Roberts. Are you looking for a way to make a difference on environmental issues? Here at Eco Report we are currently looking for reporters, engineers, and segment producers. Our goal is 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 an assortment of 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, give us a call at (812) 323-1200, or e-mail us at: [email protected].
And now for some upcoming events:
Help plant native trees to reforest the old field at the Ferguson Dog Park located at 4300 N. Stone Mill Road in Bloomington on Saturday, October 14th, from 10 am to 1 pm. This Fall Native Tree Planting will help migrating birds, pollinators, small animals and native plants. Help make a difference. Register at bloomington.in.gov/parks.
Join the Uplands Network Chapter of the Sierra Club on Saturday, October 14th, from 9 am to Noon for a hike along the Scarce O’Fat Trail in Yellowwood State Park. Bring your own water.
Learn all about the edible bounty of the forest during a Fall Foraging leisurely walk through the RCA Community Park on Sunday, October 15th, from Noon to 2 pm. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Register at bloomington.IN.gov/parks.
Help with Trash Cleanup at the Dam at Monroe Lake on Monday, October 16th, beginning at 10:30 am. After checking in, you will be picking up trash around the dam, spillway, tailwater, and surrounding area. Wear closed toed shoes and bring water. Sign up at bit.ly/2023-cleanup-dam.
Leave the Leaves (and Do Less Yard Work!) workshop is scheduled for Thursday, October 19th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Willie Streeter Community Gardens. Pollinators and other invertebrates require fallen leaves for shelter over winter. We need pollinators for our food! So, leave the leaves! Sign up at bloomington.IN.gov/parks.
And that wraps up our show for this week. Eco Report is brought to you in part by M-P-I Solar, a Bloomington business specializing in solar hot water, solar electricity and solar hot air systems. M-P-I Solar designs and installs solar power generation systems that encourage independence and individual responsibility. Found locally at 812-334-4003 and on the Web at MPIsolarenergy.com.
This week’s headlines were written by Norm Holy. Today’s news feature was produced by Zyro Roze and edited by Noelle Herhusky-Schneider. Julianna Dailey assembled the script which was edited by Zyro Roze. Julianna Dailey compiled our events calendar. Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider produced today’s show. Branden Blewett is our engineer. For WFHB, I’m Julianna Dailey. And I am Cynthia Roberts. And this is Eco Report.
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