This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, March 16th, 2022.

Later in the program, the Monroe County Residents Against Annexation filed a petition to appeal annexation in Areas 1A and 1B. WFHB News speaks with Margaret Clements, the president of the Monroe County Residents Against Annexation, in the bottom half of tonight’s program.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Cyberwarfare and Homegrown Ripoffs on Better Beware - your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB.

But first, your Environmental News Brief

The Environmental Resilience Institute’s Resilience Cohort based at Indiana University is a program that has been working towards planting more trees and other vegetation across the state in response to climate change. Indiana’s cities and towns, with their massive amounts of concrete and lack of vegetation, have lended themselves towards climate change effects being more common. These surfaces allow large amounts of flooding and more heat retention on the Earth’s surface. The planting of trees helps mitigate these effects by having their roots strengthen the soil and absorb more moisture. Their canopies help shade and keep the temperature cooler. Over 30 local governments across the state have begun participating and new trees have begun to pop up everywhere.

A shocking discovery from the Smithsonian Magazine has found that over a third of all the animal feed originating from Singapore contains endangered shark meat. The researchers found that the ingredients listed as just “fish”, “ocean fish”, or “white fish” have been the sources of the shark meat. While shark meat is not dangerous towards pets, most owners would be surprised that their cats and dogs were eating endangered animals. A study published last year in the Nature journal found that global shark and ray numbers have decreased by over 70 percent since 1970. The Smithsonian researchers support clearer ingredient labeling that allows owners to better choose the right food for their pets and reduce the harm done to shark populations.

President Biden’s hopes for the appointment of his Federal Reserve nominee Sarah Bloom Raskin have tanked since last week as Senator Joe Manchin announced that he will not vote to confirm that candidate. This is due to Raskin’s belief that financial regulators should have the ability to prepare for the economic fallout that would be caused by climate change. Moderate Republicans and Manchin have cited their belief that all energy sectors, both renewable and nonrenewable, should be financed and supported. This is a major blow to one of the tenets of Biden’s environmental platform that seeks to encourage government agencies to understand how the increasing amount of extreme weather events and the transition to renewable energy could impact the financial stability of the country.

PFAs or ‘Forever Chemicals’ Face Scrutiny

Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS or ‘forever chemicals,’ are the subject of recent scrutiny. These synthetic organic compounds have been used in everyday products since the 1940s including common brands like Scotchguard, Teflon, L’Oréal, Mac, Ulta, and CoverGirl. They are used to make non-stick and waterproof products ranging from cookware to personal care products and textiles. Their presence is widespread. In fact, PFAS has been detected in the blood of approximately 97% of Americans and was even detected in breast milk.

PFAS are environmentally persistent, enabling them to accumulate in wildlife and people. Once they enter your body, it is impossible to remove them, meaning multiple exposures to small quantities will build up over time. Many studies have shown that exposure to PFAS has adverse health effects including liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, obesity, hormone suppression, high cholesterol, and cancer.