Podcasts about Environment

On February 3rd, a train carrying 20 cars with poisonous, flammable chemicals derailed in East Palestine, OH. In this episode, we're going to get some answers. Using testimony from four Congressional hearings, community meeting footage, National Transportation Safety Board preliminary reports, and lots of articles from local and mainstream press, you will learn what Congress is being told as they write the Rail Safety Act, which both parts of Congress are working on in response to the East Palestine train derailment. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the show notes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd274-norfolk-southern-train-derailment-in-east-palestine Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD247: BIF: The Growth of US Railroads East Palestine Derailment Overview “It's been more than a month since a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in Ohio. Here's what's happened since.” Alisha Ebrahimji and Holly Yan. Mar 23, 2023. CNN. “Residents can return home after crews burned chemicals in derailed tanker cars.” Associated Press. Feb 8, 2023. NPR. “WATCH: Smoke billows over East Palestine after controlled burn at train derailment site.” Feb 8, 2023. Cleveland 19 News. Vinyl Chloride and Dioxins “East Palestine Train Derailment: What is vinyl chloride and what happens when it burns?” Associated Press. Feb 8, 2023. CBS News Pittsburgh. “Dioxins and their effects on human health.” Oct 4, 2016. World Health Organization. “Medical Management Guidelines for Vinyl Chloride.” Last reviewed Oct 21, 2014. Centers for Disease Control Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. National Transportation Safety Board Findings “Norfolk Southern Railway Train Derailment with Subsequent Hazardous Material Release and Fires: Investigation Details.” Last updated Mar 21, 2023. National Transportation Safety Board. “What appears to be an overheated wheel bearing seen moments before East Palestine train derailment, NTSB says.” Ian Cross. Feb 14, 2023. ABC News 5 Cleveland. “Vent and Burn” Decision “Ex-EPA Administrator Doubts Agency's East Palestine Claims: 'Hard to Believe They Were Silent' Before Norfolk Southern Detonated Toxic Vinyl Chloride Cars.” Jordan Chariton. May 25, 2023. Status Coup News. “East Palestine emails reveal insight into decision to vent and burn toxic rail cars.” Tara Morgan. May 15, 2023. ABC News 5 Cleveland. “EXCLUSIVE: 'I truly feel defeated and useless.' Emails and texts reveal anguish of East Palestine fire chief over lack of adequate health advice after he was told to treat chemical disaster 'like a normal house fire.'” Daniel Bates. May 15, 2023. The Daily Mail. EPA failures “East Palestine Bombshell: EPA Official Admits It May Be Missing Toxic Chemicals in Air Testing, Admits Some of Its Decision Making Has Been to Prevent Lawsuits.” Louis DeAngelis. Mar 29, 2023. Status Coup News. East Palestine Resident Health Problems “No one has accepted real responsibility for the East Palestine disaster.” Zsuzsa Gyenes. May 16, 2023. The Guardian. “East Palestine survey reveals residents experienced headaches and anxiety after train derailment.” Nicki Brown, Artemis Moshtaghian and Travis Caldwell. Mar 4, 2023. CNN. “People in East Palestine showing breakdown product of vinyl chloride in urine tests.” Tara Morgan. Apr 28, 2023. ABC News 5 Cleveland. Norfolk Southern “Making it Right.” Norfolk Southern. “Norfolk Southern unveils compensation plans for homeowners near derailment site.” Andrea Cambron, Jason Carroll and Chris Isidore. May 11, 2023. CNN Business. “‘32 Nasty:' Rail Workers Say They Knew the Train That Derailed in East Palestine Was Dangerous.” Aaron Gordon. Feb 15, 2023. Vice. “Wall Street says Norfolk Southern profits won't suffer from derailment.” Rachel Premack. Feb 14, 2023. Freight Waves. “US rail industry defends safety record amid staffing cuts.” Josh Funk. May 16, 2021. AP News. Lobbying Against Regulations “Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment.” David Sirota et al. Feb 8, 2023. The Lever. ECP Brake Deregulation “USDOT repeals ECP brake rule.” William C. Vantuono. Dec 5, 2017. Railway Age. Railway Safety Act “Railway Safety Act passes committee, moves to Senate floor for full vote.” Abigail Bottar. May 10, 2023. Ideastream Public Media. Staffing Cuts “Railroads are slashing workers, cheered on by Wall Street to stay profitable amid Trump's trade war.” Heather Long. Jan 3, 2020. The Washington Post. Long Trains “The True Dangers of Long Trains.” Dan Schwartz and Topher Sanders. Apr 3, 2023. Propublica. Bills S.576: Railway Safety Act of 2023 Audio Sources Senate Executive Session May 10, 2023 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Clips 36:30 Sen. JD Vance (R-OH): This bill has changed a lot from what I introduced just a few short months ago. We've made a number of concessions to industry; a number of concessions to the rail industry, a number of concessions to various interest groups, which is why we have so much bipartisan support in this body but also why we have a lot of support from industry. East Palestine Community Meeting March 28, 2023 Status Coup News Government Response to East Palestine: Ensuring Safety and Transparency for the Community March 28, 2023 House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Debra Shore, Regional Administrator, U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 Wesley Vins, Health Commissioner, Columbiana County General Health District Anne M. Vogel, Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Clips 30:40 Debra Shore: Since the derailment, EPA has been leading robust, multi-layered air quality testing, using state of the art technology in and around East Palestine, and that extensive monitoring has continued daily at 23 stations throughout the community. Since the fire was extinguished on February 8, EPA monitors have not detected any volatile organic compounds above established levels of health concerns. EPA has also been assisting with indoor air screenings in homes through a voluntary program to keep residents informed. As of March 21, more than 600 homes have been screened, and no sustained or elevated detections of chemicals have been identified. 33:00 Debra Shore: Here's how EPA is holding Norfolk Southern accountable. On February 21, EPA issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to Norfolk Southern, including a number of directives to identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources, to attend and participate in public meetings at EPA's request, and to post information online, and ordering the company to pay EPA's costs for work performed under the order. All Norfolk Southern work plans must be reviewed and approved by EPA. It must outline all steps necessary to address the environmental damage caused by the derailment. If the company fails to complete any of the EPAs ordered actions, the agency will immediately step in, conduct the necessary work, and then seek punitive damages at up to three times the cost. 46:30 Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH): In one case, trucks were actually turned around at the gate of a proper, certified disposal facility and sent back to East Palestine to sit practically in my constituents backyard. Why did the EPA believe that it needed to send those letters? Debra Shore: Chairman Johnson, the instance you cite occurred before EPA assumed responsibility under the Unilateral Administrative Order for the cleanup. We don't know who told those trucks to turn around, whether it was the disposal facility itself or someone else. 48:50 Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH): Why were they turned around? Debra Shore: This occurred during the transition period between Ohio EPA and US EPA assuming the lead for the emergency response. As such, under the Unilateral Administrative Order, all disposal facilities are required to be on the CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) approved off-site disposal list. So, we needed a few days to review what had occurred and ensure that those facilities that Norfolk Southern had contracts with were on that approved list. Once we determined which ones were on the approved list, it's up to Norfolk Southern to ship waste off the site. 1:03:30 Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO): Is the EPA intending to use the Unilateral Administrative Order to ensure that Norfolk Southern establishes a health and environmental screening program beyond this initial cleanup period? Debra Shore: Right now, the focus of the Unilateral Order and our work with Norfolk Southern is to make sure the site is cleaned up. I think the responsibility for that longer term health effort, I support what Dr. Vins recommended, and that may have to be negotiat[ed] with Norfolk Southern going forward. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO): Obviously, that hasn't started yet. Debra Shore: Not to my knowledge. 1:09:05 Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA): What will take place in the remediation phase, what happens then? Debra Shore: Then there'll be restoration of stream banks and the places where the soil was removed from along the railroad sites and I think a larger vision for the community that they're already beginning to work on, such as parks and streetscapes. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA): Right. Any idea of what kind of timeframe we're talking about here? I mean, are we talking like in my district, decades? Debra Shore: No. We believe the core of the removal of the contaminated site and the restoration of the tracks will be several months. 1:11:35 Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ): When did clean up responsibility shift from EPA to Norfolk Southern, and what protections were put in place to ensure the health and safety of the community during that shift? Debra Shore: Thank you, Congressman Pallone. The transition from the State agency, which has the delegated authority in every state, has an emergency response capability, and so Ohio was on the ground working with the local firemen and other agencies as EPA arrived shortly after the derailment. It is typical in these kinds of emergency responses for the state agency to take the lead in the early days and Norfolk Southern was complying with the directives from the state. They continued to comply, but we've found over time that it's important to have all the authority to hold the principal responsible party in this case Norfolk Southern accountable, which is why on February 21, several weeks after the derailment, EPA issued its Unilateral Administrative Order. 1:19:55 Debra Shore: In the subsequent soil sampling that's been conducted, we looked at the information about the direction of the plume from the vent and burn event and focused that primarily where there might have been aerial deposition of soot or particulate matter, and that those soil samples have been collected in Pennsylvania. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA): And today, what soil, air, and water tests are continuing to occur in Pennsylvania? Debra Shore: Additional soil samples will be collected in collaboration, principally, with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the local Farm Bureau, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. 1:28:36 Anne M. Vogel: The reason that we have been able to say that the municipal drinking water is safe is based on an Ohio EPA map that pre-exists the derailment. This is the source water protection map. So the municipal wellfield is right here, if folks can see that, that big well in the blue. So the derailment happened way over here, a mile and a half away from the wellfield. And we know how the water flows, down this way, down this way, down the creeks. So the derailment would not have affected the municipal water source and we knew that very quickly after the derailment. 1:49:05 Debra Shore: Norfolk Southern has encountered some difficulties in finding and establishing contracts with sites to accept both liquid and solid waste. And I think we could accelerate the cleanup if they were able to fulfill that obligation more expeditiously. 1:51:20 Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA): What are some of the long term health concerns that residents and your providers have? Wesley Vins: We've heard a whole wide range of concerns long term. Certainly, cancer is first and foremost, because of much of the information that the residents see online and here, as well as reproductive concerns, growth concerns, hormonal concerns Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA): Do you think there's a potential with the carcinogens or any of the toxins that it could lead to ailments for five years from now? Wesley Vins: Yeah, I understand your question. So the some of the constituents that we have related to this response, obviously are carcinogenic, however, we're seeing low levels, is really the initial response. So I think the long question is, we don't know. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA): We don't know. 2:04:50 Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA): Administrator Shore, one concern my office has heard is that relocation costs are not being covered by Norfolk Southern for everyone in East Palestine. How is it determined whether a resident is eligible to have their relocation costs paid for? Debra Shore: I'm sorry to hear that. My understanding was that Norfolk Southern was covering temporary relocation costs for any resident who sought that, and I would direct you to Norfolk Southern to ask why they are being turned down. Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA): Can the EPA require that Norfolk Southern cover relocation costs for anyone in East Palestine? Debra Shore: I'll find out. 2:11:45 Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA): I guess my concern is, if the EPA is website says that the sampling data hasn't been quality assured, how did the EPA make the determination that the air is safe to breathe when it appears that the sampling data has not been quality assured? Debra Shore: Congresswoman, I'm going to ask our staff to get back to you with an answer for that. Executive Session and Improving Rail Safety in Response to the East Palestine Derailment March 22, 2023 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation View on Senate website Introduction Panel: U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown U.S. Senator J.D. Vance Mike DeWine, Governor of Ohio Misti Allison, Resident of East Palestine Witnesses: Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board David Comstock, Chief, Ohio Western Reserve Joint Fire District Clyde Whitaker, Legislative Director, Ohio State SMART-TD Alan Shaw, CEO, Norfolk Southern Ian Jefferies, CEO, Association of American Railroads Clips 1:35:00 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Is there any relief being offered now to say, if you make the decision to move your home and move your family somewhere else, there is an avenue for you to sell your home and get a fair market price for it? Misti Allison: The short answer is, as of today, no. There is not a clear cut explanation or parameters of how you would do that. We've heard time and time again from Norfolk Southern that they're going to make it right and that they're looking into some long term health care monitoring and assistance and home value protection, but details of that plan have not been disclosed to residents as of today. 1:42:05 Jennifer Homendy: This derailment, as all accidents we investigate, was 100% preventable. 1:43:20 Jennifer Homendy: First, the definition of high hazard flammable train should be expanded to a broader array of hazmats and the definition's threshold of 20 loaded tank cars in a continuous block or 35 tank cars dispersed throughout a train should be eliminated. Second, DOT 111 should be phased out of all hazmat service. They're not as protected as DOT 117 tank cars. Third, people deserve to know what chemicals are moving through their communities and how to stay safe in an emergency. That includes responders who risk their lives for each of us every single day. They deserve to be prepared. That means access to real time information, obtaining the right training and gear, and having the right communications and planning tools. Fourth, light cockpit voice recorders in the aviation, audio and video recorders in the locomotive cab are essential for helping investigators determine the cause of an accident and make more precise safety recommendations. Recorders also help operators proactively improve their safety policies and practices. In the East Palestine derailment, the locomotive was equipped with an inward facing camera. However, since the locomotive was put immediately back into service following the accident, the data was overwritten. That means the recorder only provided about 15 minutes of data before the derailment, and five minutes after. The FAST Act, following terrible tragedies in Chatsworth and in Philadelphia, required Amtrak and commuter railroads to maintain crash and fire hardened inward and outward facing image recorders in all controlling locomotives that have a minimum of a 12 hour continuous recording capability. This was extremely helpful in our DuPont Washington investigation. Now is the time to expand that requirement to audio, and include the Class One freight railroads in that mandate. In fact, now is the time to address all of the NTSB's open rail safety recommendations, many of which are on our most wanted list. Fifth and finally, as the committee works on enhancing rail safety, I trust that you'll consider the resources that we desperately need to carry out our critical safety mission. Investments in the NTSB are investments in safety across all modes of transportation. 1:52:05 Clyde Whitaker: This derailment did not have to happen. And it makes it so much more frustrating for us to know that it was very predictable. And yet our warnings and cries for help over the last seven years have fallen on deaf ears and the outcome was exactly as we feared. Now the result is a town that doesn't feel safe in their own homes, businesses failing to survive and a railroad that prioritized its own movement of trains, before the people in the community, as well as its workers. It truly is a shame that operational changes in place prior to that incident are still in place today and the possibility for a similar disaster is just as possible. My entire railroad career I've listened to the railroads portray a message and image of safety first, but I have never witnessed or experienced that truth, one single day on the property. For years I've handled complaint after complaint regarding unsafe practices and unsafe environments, and for almost every single one I've been fought every step of the way. The truth is, ask any railroad worker and they will tell you, that their carriers are masters of checking the boxes and saying the right things, without ever doing anything meaningful toward improving safety. They're only focus is on the operating ratios and bottom lines, which is evidenced by the fact that their bonus structures are set up to reward timely movements of freight rather than reaching destinations safely, as they once were. Actions do speak louder than words. And I assure you that what you have heard, and will hear, from the railroads today are nothing more than words. Their actions are what's experienced by men and women I represent as well as what the people of East Palestine have been through. This is the reality of what happens when railroads are primarily left to govern and regulate themselves. 1:54:05 Clyde Whitaker: On July 11, 2022, I filed a complaint with the FRA (Freight Railroad Administration) regarding an unsafe practice that was occurring on Norfolk Southern (NS), despite existing operating rules to the contrary. NS was giving instructions to crews to disregard wayside detector failures and to keep the trains moving. This meant the trains were not being inspected as intended, and that the crews were not able to ascertain the integrity of such trains. This practice remained in place even after East Palestine. 1:54:40 Clyde Whitaker: It is a virus that has plagued the industry for some time, with the exception of precision scheduled railroading. Across America, inspections and maintenance is being deferred to expedite the movement of trains. No longer is identifying defects and unsafe conditions the goal of inspections, but rather minimiz[ing] the time it takes to perform them, or the elimination of them all together. 2:17:40 Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): Why did Norfolk Southern not stop the train then and examine the bearing to make sure that it didn't melt the axle and that you didn't have a derailment? If you'd stop then it would have prevented the derailment. So my question is, why did the second hotbox reading not trigger action? Alan Shaw: Senator, my understanding is that that second reading was still below our alarm threshold, which is amongst the lowest in the industry. In response to this, the industry has agreed to work together to share best practices with respect to hotbox detectors, trending technology, and thresholds. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX): So when you and I visited my office yesterday, you said your threshold is now 170 degrees above ambient temperature. As I understand it, at the time of the derailment, your threshold was 200 degrees above ambient temperature. 2:20:15 Clyde Whitaker: Make note that trending defect detector technology from being in the cab of a locomotive, when we pass a defect detector, it trends to an office like Norfolk Southern in Atlanta, Georgia. It doesn't convey to the railroad crews, which is a problem in this incident as well as many others that still continue to this day. What we need as a train crew -- which they say they listen, they haven't been listening for quite a while -- we need to be notified whenever these trending detectors are seeing this car trend hotter. That way we can keep a better eye on it. 2:22:35 Clyde Whitaker: It is feasible. The technology is there. Several days after East Palestine, we almost had a similar incident in the Cleveland area on Norfolk Southern. The defect detector said no defects to the crew. The train dispatcher came on and said, "Hey, we have a report of a trending defect detector on the train. We need you to stop and inspect it." Immediately after that the chief dispatcher, which is the person that controls the whole railroad, told them to keep going. If it were not for an eastbound train passing them and instructing them, "Hey, your train is on fire, stop your train." And we set that car out. They had to walking speed this car five miles. So the technology is there. They're just raising and lowering their thresholds to move freight. 2:25:15 Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): His testimony is loud and clear: it would have been worse if there was only one person as a crew on that train. Do you disagree with him? Alan Shaw: Senator, I believe that we have operations infrastructure on the ground to respond to derailments. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): I think you're not answering the question, okay? It's almost like the last hearing all over again. Because I think the evidence is very clear that these trains can be absolutely safer, but that technology is no replacement for human beings. For example, it can't provide the cognitive functions of a conductor and can't collect visual cues during an emergency. Two-person crews make our trains safer and I wish that you would commit to that today, because I think it's pretty obvious that is the correct answer. I just get sick of industry executives talking about supporting the principles of regulation, while they lobby against common sense regulations like this one behind the scenes. 2:38:50 Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT): I understand that the business plan of Norfolk Southern includes a $7.5 billion stock buyback that is ongoing. Do you believe it would be appropriate to suspend that buyback program until all of the assurances that you are making to this committee and also to the people of East Palestine, about "making this right," that that stock back buyback program should be suspended until you have accomplished what you've assured us and what you've assured that people of East Palestine that you would do? Alan Shaw: Senator, we think about safety every day. We spend a billion dollars a year in capital on safety. And we have ongoing expenses of about a billion dollars a year in safety and as a result over time, derailments are down, hazardous material releases are down and injuries are down. We can always get better. Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT): Right, so you won't answer my question about suspending the buyback program. Alan Shaw: Senator, stock buybacks never come at the expense of safety Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT): I take that is that you will continue with your plan on the buyback. 2:51:30 Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): I know that high hazardous flammable trains have more safety regulations. Why would this not have been characterized as a high hazard flammable train if it had th ese hazardous materials on it as part of the 149 car train? Alan Shaw: Senator, thank you for your question. I'm not familiar with the entire makeup of the train. I know that a highly hazardous train is defined by a certain number of highly hazardous cars in it or a certain number of cars in a block. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): Miss Homendy, maybe you can help me with that question. Jennifer Homendy: Yes, the definition of a high hazard flammable train involves class three flammable liquids only, 20 car loads in a continuous block, which would be a unit train, or 35 car loads of class three flammable liquids in a mixed freight train. That was not what was on this train. There were some that were class three defined flammable liquids, but this train was not a high hazard flammable train. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): Right. It wasn't a high hazard train, but it had high hazardous materials that are very flammable that just lit up the sky. So is that something that you would consider that should be looked at as a safety improvement? Jennifer Homendy: Yes, Senator. We think that the thresholds of the 20 and 35 should be eliminated and we think a broader array of hazmat should be in the definition of high hazard flammable train. Protecting Public Health and the Environment in the Wake of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Chemical Release in East Palestine, Ohio March 9, 2023 Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works View on Senate website Witnesses: Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) Alan Shaw, President and CEO, Norfolk Southern Corporation Debra Shore, Regional Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region V Anne Vogel, Director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Richard Harrison, Executive Director and Chief Engineer, Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission Eric Brewer, Director and Chief of Hazardous Materials Response, Beaver County Department of Emergency Services Clips 26:50 Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH): The company followed the Wall Street business model: boost profits by cutting costs at all costs, the consequences for places like East Palestine be damned. In 10 years, Norfolk Southern eliminated 38% of its workforce. Think of that. In a decade they cut more than a third of their jobs. We see what the company did with their massive profits. Norfolk Southern spent $3.4 billion on stock buybacks last year and were planning to do even more this year. That's money that could have gone to hiring inspectors, to putting more hotbox detectors along its rail lines, to having more workers available to repair cars and repair tracks. Norfolk Southern's profits have gone up and up and up and look what happened. 33:35 Sen. JD Vance (R-OH): It is ridiculous that firefighters and local officials don't know that hazardous chemicals are in their community, coming through their community. In East Palestine you had a community of largely volunteer firefighters responding to a terrible crisis, toxic burning chemicals, without knowing what was on them. 34:50 Sen. JD Vance (R-OH): I've talked to a number of my Republican colleagues and nearly everybody has dealt in complete good faith, whether they like the bill or have some concerns about it, and these comments are not directed at them. Who they are directed at is a particular slice of people who seem to think that any public safety enhancements for the rail industry is somehow a violation of the free market. Well, if you look at this industry and what's happened in the last 30 years, that argument is a farce. This is an industry that enjoys special subsidies that almost no industry enjoys. This is an industry that is enjoys special legal carve outs that almost no industry enjoys. This is an industry that just three months ago had the federal government come in and save them from a labor dispute. It was effectively a bailout. And now they're claiming before the Senate and the House that our reasonable legislation is somehow a violation of the free market. Well, pot, meet the kettle, because that doesn't make an ounce of sense. You cannot claim special government privileges, you cannot ask the government to bail you out, and then resist basic public safety. 40:10 Alan Shaw: Air and water monitoring have been in place continuously since the accident and to date it consistently indicated that the air is safe to breathe and the water is safe to drink. 47:20 Debra Shore: Since the fire was extinguished on February 8, EPA monitors have not detected any volatile organic compounds above levels of health concerns. 47:45 Debra Shore: EPA has been assisting with indoor air screenings for homes through a voluntary program offered to residents to provide them with information and help restore their peace of mind. As of March 4, approximately 600 homes had been screened through this program and no detections of vinyl chloride or hydrogen chloride have been identified. 48:40 Debra Shore: On February 21, we issued a unilateral administrative order to Norfolk Southern which includes a number of directives to identify and clean up contaminated soil and water resources, to attend and participate in public meetings at EPA's request, and to post information online, to pay for EPA's costs for work performed under this order. EPA is overseeing Norfolk Southern's cleanup work to ensure it's done to EPA specifications. The work plans will outline all steps necessary to clean up the environmental damage caused by the derailment. And most importantly, if the company fails to complete any of the EPA ordered actions, the agency will immediately step in, conduct the necessary work, and then force Norfolk Southern to pay triple the cost. 1:04:30 Eric Brewer: Norfolk Southern hazmat personnel and contractors arrived on scene shortly after 11pm. At around midnight, after research of the contents, it was decided to shut down fire operations and move firefighters out of the immediate area and to let the tank cars burn. This is not an unusual decision. This decision was made primarily by Norfolk Southern's hazmat coordinator, as well as their contractor. 1:05:15 Eric Brewer: There was a possibility of explosion and we should consider a one mile evacuation. Ohio officials notified us that the one mile radius would now be from the leaked oil address. This would add additional residents from Beaver County in the one mile evacuation zone. Donington township officials went door to door, as well as using a mass notification system to advise the residents of the one mile recommended evacuation. It was stressed that this was a recommendation as we cannot force residents from their homes. Social media posts began to circulate stating that arrest would be made if people refused to leave during the evacuation. Let me be clear that was not the case in Pennsylvania, as this was not a mandatory evacuation. Monday morning, we assembled at the Emergency Operations Center in East Palestine. We learned Norfolk Southern wanted to do a controlled detonation of the tank car in question. We were assured this was the safest way to mitigate the problem. During one of those planning meetings, we learned from Norfolk Southern that they now wanted to do the controlled detonation on five of the tank cars rather than just the one. This changed the entire plan, as it would now impact a much larger area. 1:21:25 Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV): Why did you wait a month before you started to order the dioxin testing when the community was asking for this? Was that a decision that you made early on that it wasn't critical? Or how was this decision made? Debra Shore: Senator Capito, our air monitoring was searching for primary indicators, such as phosgene and hydrogen chloride, immediately during and after the burn. We detected very low levels which very quickly went even down to non detectable. Without those primary indicators, it was a very low probability that dioxins would have been created. They are secondary byproducts of the burning of vinyl chloride. 1:25:40 Alan Shaw: As you saw just this week, a six point safety plan that included a number of issues which we're implementing immediately to improve safety, including installing more wayside detectors. The first one was installed yesterday outside of East Palestine. 1:30:20 Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK): Mr. Shaw, when the vent and burn process was being made, who who made those decisions? And what was other considerations other than just burning it and letting the material burn off? Alan Shaw: Thank you for that question. The only consideration, Senator, was the safety and health of the community. And that decision was made by Unified Command under the direction of the Incident Commander? Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK): Who's that? Alan Shaw: The Incident Commander was Fire Chief Drabick. Norfolk Southern was a part of Unified Command. 2:07:25 Alan Shaw: Senator, the NTSB report indicated that all of the hotbox detectors were working as designed. And earlier this week, we announced that we are adding approximately 200 hotbox detectors to our network. We already have amongst the lowest spacing between hotbox detectors in the industry. And we already have amongst the lowest thresholds. 2:15:35 Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): Will you commit to compensating affected homeowners for their diminished property values? Alan Shaw: Senator, I'm committing to do what's right. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): Well, what's right is a family that had a home worth $100,000 that is now worth $50,000 will probably never be able to sell that home for 100,000 again. Will you compensate that family for that loss? Alan Shaw: Senator, I'm committed to do what's right. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): That is the right thing to do. These are the people who are innocent victims, Mr. Shaw. These people were just there at home and all of a sudden their small businesses, their homes are forever going to have been diminished in value. Norfolk Southern owes these people. It's an accident that is basically under the responsibility of Norfolk Southern, not these families. When you say do the right thing, will you again, compensate these families for their diminished lost property value for homes and small businesses? Alan Shaw: Senator, we've already committed $21 million and that's a downpayment Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): That is a down payment. Will you commit to ensuring that these families, these innocent families, do not lose their life savings in their homes and small businesses? The right thing to do is to say, "Yes, we will." Alan Shaw: Senator, I'm committed to doing what's right for the community and we're going to be there as long -- Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA): What's right for the community will then be balanced -- which is what we can see from your stock buybacks -- by what's right for Norfolk Southern. C-SPAN: Washington Post Live March 6, 2023 Speakers: Heather Long, Columnist and Editorial Writer, Washington Post Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board Clips 5:14 Jennifer Homendy: Hazardous materials are transported on all modes of transportation. Our aviation system is the safest, but they're limited in what they can transport for dangerous materials. Pipelines can also be safe as well. They have a generally good safety record until one big rupture occurs. But then our railroads also have a good safety record. Train accidents in general, per million trains miles, are going up. So it's trending upwards, accidents. With that said, going on our nation's roads with these materials is not something we want to see. You know, we have 43,000 people that are dying on our nation's roads annually. We have a public health crisis on our roads. Millions of crashes are occurring, so transporting hazmat on our roads would be more dangerous than on our railways. 6:50 Jennifer Homendy: The numbers are trending upward on accidents overall and also for Norfolk Southern 8:20 Jennifer Homendy: That is a role that's very important for the NTSB and why we are independent of the Department of Transportation. We are not part of the Department of Transportation because we do conduct federal oversight to see if DoT's oversight of the freight railroads is adequate or inadequate and we may make recommendations on that. 10:20 Jennifer Homendy: Once it hit well over 250 degrees, it was time for the train crew to stop to inspect the axle, to inspect the wheel bearing and to possibly, in this case, set out the car. But it was too late because as they were slowing and stopping, the train derailed, the wheel bearing failed. And so there might need to be more conservative temperature thresholdss o that started earlier. Also, something the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has looked at is real time monitoring of temperatures and data trending from the control center so that they can see the temperatures increase over a period of time. In this derailment, or what we saw of this train and its operations, is the temperature of that wheel bearing was going up pretty significantly over the course of the three different wayside detectors, but you know, the crew doesn't see that. So that real time monitoring and data trending so that there's some communication with the crew to stop the train and take immediate action is definitely needed. We'll look at that as part of our investigation as well. 12:30 Jennifer Homendy: One thing I will mention is that these decisions about the placement of these hot bearing detectors and the thresholds really vary railroad by railroad and so there needs to be good decision making, some policies and practices put in place. 18:00 Jennifer Homendy: Electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes don't prevent a derailment. It could lessen damage. So let me explain that. So in this one, car 23 still would have derailed because a wheel bearing failed. So car 23 still would have derailed. Still would have been a derailment, still would have been a fire, and the responders, and Norfolk Southern, and the state and locals would have had to still make a decision on whether to vent and burn the five vinyl chloride tank cars. There could have been a possibility of less damage, meaning a few cars could have remained on the track later in the train. But as for most of the damage, that still would have occurred whether we had ECP brakes on this train or not. 19:50 Heather Long: There's a lot fewer people working on rail, especially freight rail. Does the number of people make any difference here? Jennifer Homendy: Well for this one, as you said, we had two crew members and a trainee. They all stay, as with every train, in the cab of the head locomotive. So I do not see where that would have made a difference in this particular train and this derailment. One thing we are going to look at is whether any changes in staffing lead to any differences in how these cars are maintained or how they're inspected. That is something we will look at. 21:05 Jennifer Homendy: Yeah, so the fire chief, upon arrival at the command center following the derailment, had electronic access to the train consist, which is the list of cars and the materials or liquids that the train is carrying, but none of the responders had the Ask Rail app. You could look up a UN number for a particular car and get the whole consist of the train. It's in an app that the railroads developed for helping emergency responders to get information following an accident. 25:05 Jennifer Homendy: And we have over 250 recommendations that we've issued on rail safety generally that have not been acted upon yet. Music Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Editing Pro Podcast Solutions Production Assistance Clare Kuntz Balcer

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow Bozeman MT 1875 1/2 #Bestof2022: Tales of Western Law and the TV show, "Yellowstone." @Brian Yablonski, @PERCtweets Property, Environment Resource Center, Bozeman, Montana. https://www.perc.org/perc_reports/volume-4-no-2-winter-2021/ Yellowstone,” starring Kevin Costner, is one of the most popular shows on television. The action-packed drama follows the travails of a prominent Montana ranching family as they confront an onslaught of challenges to their way of life. The show sparked renewed interest in the American West and a creative idea at PERC. After bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policy experts—and even some “Yellowstone” cast members—for a PERC workshop this past summer, this special issue of PERC Reports was born. In it, we use “Yellowstone's” portrayals of the Rocky Mountain West to examine real-world western issues.

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @BatchelorshowBozeman MT 1933? 2/2 #Bestof2022: Tales of Western Law and the TV show, "Yellowstone." @Brian Yablonski, @PERCtweets Property, Environment Resource Center, Bozeman, Montana. https://www.perc.org/perc_reports/volume-4-no-2-winter-2021/ Yellowstone,” starring Kevin Costner, is one of the most popular shows on television. The action-packed drama follows the travails of a prominent Montana ranching family as they confront an onslaught of challenges to their way of life. The show sparked renewed interest in the American West and a creative idea at PERC. After bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policy experts—and even some “Yellowstone” cast members—for a PERC workshop this past summer, this special issue of PERC Reports was born. In it, we use “Yellowstone's” portrayals of the Rocky Mountain West to examine real-world western issues.

www.HowToRetireSuccessfully.com 

Editor's Note, by Art Middlekauff In November 1909, the 13th Annual PNEU Conference was held in Birmingham.[1] On the morning of the second day, a paper by Dr. Helen Webb was read entitled “Environment in Relation to Nervous Stability.” It offered advice on how to raise healthy children in our modern hectic era, and it … The post Why Small Things Matter first appeared on Charlotte Mason Poetry.

When it seems bleak and there is no hope God is up to something! Before ruth and Boaz get together let's see how bad things were for them and maybe even for you. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whenscripturesbecomereal/support

Researchers in Japan say sanitized disposable diapers can be used to help build homes!

The excitement around ChatGPT and other large language models has put AI firmly in the spotlight in recent months. Public perception is that we're entering a new age of AI; it is a brand-new technology that promises to change our lives. In the world of energy, though, AI is not a new concept. GE was developing its AI capabilities more than a decade ago. BP invested in an AI company in 2017 to support oil exploration and production. And so far, although you can see the impact of AI in many parts of the world of energy, it has not exactly transformed the fundamentals of the industry. So when people get excited about AI in energy today, and expecting revolutionary change, are they just buying into some well-orchestrated hype?Amy Myers-Jaffe is Director of the Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab at New York University. She joins Ed and explains the real-world benefits of automation and AI for electricity networks. Automating home energy use and business operations in conjunction with power supplies could have huge implications for energy. The gang is also joined this week by Michael Webber. Michael is the Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources, in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas. He's also CTO of Energy Impact Partners, a cleantech venture fund.Together, the team examine whether AI will transform energy and our lives in the same way the internet did. And they assess the question: is AI the tool that will ultimately open the door to a net zero energy system? Subscribe to the show so you don't miss an episode and follow us on Twitter, we're @theenergygang Wood Mackenzie's Solar & Energy Storage Summit is back, taking place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 21 and 22. Join expert solar and storage analysts for discussions with leading grid-scale utilities, solar and energy storage developers and federal policy makers.  How is the IRA catapulting the development of solar andstorage in North America? How can we continue to build a productive environmentfor solar and energy storage as we move forward with the energy transition?What is required to nurture the development of a thriving localized storagecomponent supply chain?  Expect two days of panel discussions, presentations andworkshops, as we explore the opportunities for solar and storage in the comingdecades.  If you are interested in sponsoring or attending find outmore on woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adeel Khan, M.D., started his career journey as a personal trainer, but the lack of intellectual stimulation and his continuing desire to help people evolved into his current career as a doctor, entrepreneur and researcher. However, during and after medical school Khan discovered that people were focused on preventative care and immediate treatments rather than health and lifestyle tools that would create a lasting impact.  Khan traveled the world to learn from conference speakers and people in countries including Europe and Asia, and brought all of that knowledge back with him. Today, he discusses how we can improve our body's natural healing abilities—but to make a start on doing this, he says, we need to rework our environment. That is, we need to find a way to restructure the world and stimuli around us to encourage our success rather than hinder it. Additionally, Khan and Brilliant Thoughts host, Tristan Ahumada, discuss managing your attention, avoiding shortcuts in life and current regenerative medicine research, including Khan's own entrepreneurial and research projects.  ---- Dr. Adeel Khan is known internationally for treating high-profile celebrities and athletes—from everyday clients to the richest man in Dubai. He co-founded Xalt and is the Chief Scientific Officer of Science & Humans. Find him on Instagram @dr.akhan and on YouTube at Doctor Adeel. **Opinions and claims made by a podcast guest are strictly those of the guest and do not represent the opinions or claims of SUCCESS Enterprises. No guest statements are a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adeel Khan, M.D., started his career journey as a personal trainer, but the lack of intellectual stimulation and his continuing desire to help people evolved into his current career as a doctor, entrepreneur and researcher. However, during and after medical school Khan discovered that people were focused on preventative care and immediate treatments rather than health and lifestyle tools that would create a lasting impact.  Khan traveled the world to learn from conference speakers and people in countries including Europe and Asia, and brought all of that knowledge back with him. Today, he discusses how we can improve our body's natural healing abilities—but to make a start on doing this, he says, we need to rework our environment. That is, we need to find a way to restructure the world and stimuli around us to encourage our success rather than hinder it. Additionally, Khan and Brilliant Thoughts host, Tristan Ahumada, discuss managing your attention, avoiding shortcuts in life and current regenerative medicine research, including Khan's own entrepreneurial and research projects.  ---- Dr. Adeel Khan is known internationally for treating high-profile celebrities and athletes—from everyday clients to the richest man in Dubai. He co-founded Xalt and is the Chief Scientific Officer of Science & Humans. Find him on Instagram @dr.akhan and on YouTube at Doctor Adeel. **Opinions and claims made by a podcast guest are strictly those of the guest and do not represent the opinions or claims of SUCCESS Enterprises. No guest statements are a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1) Senator Cramer's background - How he originally sparked his interested in politics and public service 2) North Dakota's diverse energy mix and how it informs Senator Cramer's work in the U.S. Senate 3) Senator Cramer's work in the Environment and Public Works Committee and its oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 4) How we can improve America's global leadership in nuclear energy, as well as how we could support energy security and geopolitical issues abroad

Join Shylo Bijold as she interviews the incredible Adam Gornall! Adam is a therapist, life coach and consultant who utilizes The FreeMind System of hypnosis, Jungian shadow work, as well as Relational Dynamics to support his clients gain inner peace, power and purpose. He supports women through the UnleaSHEd program. A program designed to unleash women's true nature, passion and purpose. He supports men through The Returning Warrior program, a container for men to experience true power through vulnerability and emotional intelligence. He is also the Cultural Director of The FreeMind Project, a charity aimed at raising awareness around emotional intelligence, supporting organizations to integrate holistic and practical strategies for a more resilient and emotionally aware workplace. As well as providing support and guidance to schools and parents with emotional literacy. He also consults for large companies and organizations such as The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or DEFRA, one of the largest civil servant departments in British government, where he supports their Project Race; aimed at creating a safe, coherent and diverse workplace fit for service. He is a former Royal Marine Commando, having served his country, the United Kingdom, for 10 years. He has mentored, coached and advised foreign military governments with military tactics as well as protected cargo vessels from pirates in the Gulf of Aden as part of the private maritime security sector. He is a passionate seeker of truth, empathy and unity in a world torn apart by fear. And is a firm believer that to positively change the world we must each first learn to look within, for the solutions. Adam also hosts his own podcast The Returning Warrior, where he explores the incredible hero's journeys of some of the most inspirational people he knows.

The most effective way to support your healthy habits is to change your environment. I don't mean you have to uproot your life, but instead take a look at the cues that derail your progress. Small changes start to add up, even if they feel uncomfortable at first. Whether you want to improve your diet, cut back on drinking, or build a better schedule, listen in to learn tangible ways to create habits that will get you back on track.  IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT: When I first realized my environment was stronger than my willpower  Understanding the triggers in your environment that limit your progress  How to create habits that actually stick  The question I ask myself whenever I feel tempted to break a healthy habit  RESOURCES Atomic Habits by James Clear  Sign up for The Spritz newsletter at litepink.com! Text DAILY to 310-496-8363 for daily manifesting affirmations and journal prompts.  CONNECT WITH LORI Follow me: @loriharder Follow Lite Pink: @drinklitepink Follow Earn Your Happy: @earnyourhappy Follow Girlfriends & Business: @girlfriendsandbusiness Listen to Girlfriends & Business

Rabbi Kalish speaking at the Torah Umesorah Menahel Retreat 2023 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rabbikalish/support

Meet William MacAskill, the puerile professor who helps crypto capitalists justify sociopathy today for a universe of transhuman colonization tomorrow. Please share this episode with your friends and start a conversation.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.For an entertaining deep dive into the theme of season five (Phalse Prophets), read the definitive peer-reviewed taxonomic analysis from our very own Jason Bradford, PhD. Sources/Links/Notes:Andrew Anthony, "William MacAskill: 'There are 80 trillion people yet to come. They need us to start protecting them'," The Guardian, August 21, 2022.Guiding Principles of the Centre for Effective AltruismPeter Singer, "Famine, Affluence and Morality," givingwhatwecan.org.Sarah Pessin, "Political Spiral Logics," sarahpessin.com.Eliezer Yudkowsky, "Pausing AI Developments Isn't Enough. We Need to Shut it All Down," Time, March 29, 2023.Emile Torres explains the acronym TESCREAL in a Twitter thread.Benjamin Todd and William MacAskill, "Is it ever OK to take a harmful job in order to do more good? An in-depth analysis," 80,000 Hours, March 26, 2023.William MacAskill, "The Case for Longtermism," The New York Times, August 5, 2022.Emile P. Torres, "Understanding “longertermism”: Why this suddenly influential philosophy is so toxic," Salon, August 20, 2022.Nick Bostrom, "Existential Risks," Journal of Evolution and Technology (2002).Nick Bostrom, "Astronomical Waste: The Opportunity Cost of Delayed Technological Development," Utilitas (2003).Emile P. Torres, "How Elon Musk sees the future: His bizarre sci-fi visions should concern us all," Salon,  July 17, 2022.Support the show

The environmental movement has historically been very white. As a conservation scientist for the National Wildlife Federation, Corina Newsome works with government agencies to make sure that conservation plans will benefit Black and Brown people and the environmental health of their communities.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Carbon capture and sequestration is the trapping of CO2 emitted by industrial processes and depositing it beneath the Earth's surface. Spurred on by tax credits offered by recent federal legislation, companies are racing to implement the technology in geologically suitable locations such as in Louisiana.However, the community around Lake Maurepas, Louisiana, has resisted efforts by Air Products to greenlight such a project under the lake. In this episode, C&EN reporters Craig Bettenhausen and Rick Mullin discuss the fears of the community around the implementation of carbon capture and sequestration around Lake Maurepas and the response from Air Products.C&EN Uncovered, a new project from C&EN's podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers another look at subjects from recent cover stories. Read Mullin's April 2nd, 2023, cover story about carbon capture and sequestration around Lake Maurepas at https://bit.ly/3W4lbCE. A transcript of this episode will be available soon at cen.acs.org.   Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Cover story reporter: Rick Mullin Audio editor: Mark Feuer DiTusa Story editor: Michael McCoy, Ariana Remmel Copyeditor: Michele Arboit Show logo design: William A. Ludwig Episode artwork: Julie Dermansky Music: “Hot Chocolate” by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Tweet at us @cenmag or email cenfeedback@acs.org. UPDATE The episode description was updated on May 18, 2023, to include words that were accidentally omitted in the sentence about geologically suitable locations. The example location of Louisiana was originally missing.

After several years as a vegetarian, Kate Kavanaugh realized her health was declining, and determined meat might be the missing element. Now, Kate is a butcher, farmer, and holistic nutritionist. She also runs Ground Work Collective, a farm-finding search engine to help you connect to local farmers. Kate is on the podcast today with my co-host James Connolly to share her transformation from overmedicated child to a passionate entrepreneur. This is the second episode in this two-part interview with Kate.  Episode resources and transcripts are available at www.sustainabledish.com. You can also watch this episode on YouTube: Episode 247: Kate Kavanaugh [Part 2] Episode Credits: Thank you to all who've made this show possible. Our hosts are Diana Rodgers and James Connolly. Our producer is Emily Soape. And, of course, we are grateful for our sponsors, Global Food Justice Alliance members, and listeners. GFJA members get early access to ad-free podcasts, free downloads, and you'll be helping get healthy protein like meat, fish, and eggs to food-insecure kids. Go to sustainabledish.com/join to support my work.  

What are the commonalities between scaling the world's highest peaks and tackling the most challenging pollution problems? What was it like to enter the worlds of climbing and chemistry as a woman in the 1960s and 70s? With us to answer these questions is Arlene Blum. Arlene completed a bachelor's degree at Reed College in 1966 and a PhD in biophysical chemistry at Berkeley in 1971. She was a pioneering alpinist early in her career and a founder of the Green Science Policy Institute later in her career. She is the author of Annapurna - A Woman's Place, published by Counterpoint in 1980, and Breaking Trail, A Climbing Life, published by Harcourt in 2005.

The Question of Drive: Genetics vs. Environment. What is it that makes some people "driven" and others seem to just wait to see what happens? In this episode I interview my son Kevin, host of the top-ranked Self-Helpful podcast, on his new book, What Drives You. Can you overcome the impact of your childhood environment? Listen in for a front seat on this conversation by father and son.  Episode #892 May 12, 2023 Questions: 1. Do we need an “inciting incidence” to change the direction of our lives?  2. How much are we affected by our environments in the decisions we make?  3. “Drive” implies pushing to get ahead and there are clear images that come to mind when we say someone is “driven”. Is there ever a point at which we need to back off on being driven? Get direct links to the resources mentioned on this podcast in the show notes at https://www.48days.com/what-drives-you-with-kevin-miller/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there's simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Sometimes the best we can is being reminded of the gifts and insight you already have within. Now, if you're in the midst of a challenging time, our goal at HRD is to help remind and encourage you no matter the situation you're in. Be sure to subscribe and get your daily dose. Resources: HRD: https://hrdleadership.com/podcasts/

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

Solar, wind, hydrogen and nuclear – we need more investment in these renewables, but where can the money come from? In 2022, worldwide investment in renewables hit almost half a trillion dollars. Investment in solar – the largest sector - jumped 36% to 308 billion. Investment in wind – the second largest – remained stable at 175 billion. Overall investment in the energy transition topped 1.1 trillion dollars. The amount invested in new renewable projects is at the highest level in history – but it's still not enough. For us to achieve net zero by 2050, it's estimated we need between 3-5 trillion dollars a year going into the industry.  On the Interchange today, we look at the flow of money needed across renewable projects. We focus on hydrogen, nuclear, wind and solar: the four horsemen of the energy transition. Joining David on the show are two of the leading climate economists in the US, both from Columbia University, Gernot Wagner and Bruce Usher. Gernot is a senior lecturer at Columbia, and he explores the policy decisions and economic barriers to the mass adoption of renewables in the US. Bruce lectures as Director of the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise at Columbia's Business School, and he explains why hydrogen is such a promising piece of the energy transition puzzle. Together they look at the investment going into the four main renewable energies and analyze what more needs to be done to get clean energy investment to the level it needs to be. Don't forget to subscribe to the show and follow us on Twitter – we're @interchangeshow Wood Mackenzie's Solar & Energy Storage Summit is back, taking place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on June 21 and 22. Join expert solar and storage analysts for discussions with leading grid-scale utilities, solar and energy storage developers and federal policy makers.   How is the IRA catapulting the development of solar and storage in North America? How can we continue to build a productive environment for solar and energy storage as we move forward with the energy transition? What is required to nurture the development of a thriving localized storage component supply chain?   Expect two days of panel discussions, presentations and workshops, as we explore the opportunities for solar and storage in the coming decades.    If you are interested in sponsoring or attending find out more on woodmac.com/events/solar-energy-storage-summit  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Environment writer Michael Booth talks with new Colorado Sun international journalism fellow Manuel Novik about the biggest environmental issues in Ecuador, with a South American travel tips bonus.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you near retirement or already retired and wondering how to protect your investments from market drops?   In this episode, we're exploring macroeconomics and the current interest rate environment with Anthony Saccaro. We'll learn why investors with 20+ years of accumulation should look towards dollar cost averaging through retirement plans, while those closer to retirement should focus on generating income. Anthony will discuss why it's essential to plan for retirement by living off income and paying close attention to the Federal Reserve. Let's dive in! Anthony Saccaro, ChFC®, J.D., is the founder and president of Providence Financial and Insurance Services, a Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm. With over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Saccaro provides investment and retirement strategies to pre-retirees and retirees by helping them efficiently plan and work toward achieving their financial goals for their later years. [00:01 - 03:52] Opening Segment • Macroeconomics and what's happening in the US economy Inflation is high at 6.4%, but unemployment is at an all-time low of 3.4% • The benefits of dollar cost averaging and living off interest and dividends Dollar-cost averaging is buying the same investments over and over again [03:53 - 07:34] Investing for the Long-Term • Experts think that the market could go down another 20 or 30% or more • Volatility of a downward decline in the market helps if you're putting money in • If you have less than 20 years, focus on investing for income rather than growth • Live off interest and dividends instead of selling shares to get income [07:35 - 13:00] Closing Segment • Small payments of principle over time can make the million dollars disappear Don't run out of money before life ends • Value of portfolio dropping doesn't matter if living off the income Connect with Anthony: Website: More Life than Money Key Quotes: " If you're invested for growth, you're eating the chickens. If you're invested for income, you're eating the eggs." - Anthony Saccaro WANT TO LEARN MORE? Connect with me through LinkedIn. Or send me an email at sujata@luxe-cap.com Visit my website, www.luxe-cap.com, or my YouTube channel. Thanks for tuning in! If you liked my show, LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe!

Dr. Christine recently sat down with the brilliant Dr. Patrick Porter, inventor, and creator of BrainTab, and they had an incredible conversation about neuroplasticity, the power of light energy in the brain, and the importance of connecting with nature. Dr. Porter shared his journey of creating BrainTab and how it has been used to help people understand their full potential - a truly transformative technology.   Dr. Porter shared some valuable insights on raising our energy levels and making the world better by tapping into these fields of knowledge. If you're seeking to understand the true potential of the human brain and the power of interconnectedness, you won't want to miss this enlightening conversation with Dr. Patrick Porter. Listen in to learn more about today's conversation on tapping into the power of our brain:  The Importness of Brain Fitness Interconnectedness of Environment and Energy Neuroplasticity and Brain Healing Tools Building Capacity Through Sleep and Visualization Energy Healing Frequencies and much more!  To get the full show notes - www.drchristineschaffner.com/Episode191  

The Power Hour is a weekly podcast that discusses the most interesting energy and environmental policy issues with top national experts. In this special episode, hosts Jack Spencer and Rachael Wilfong sit down with trade experts Shanker Singham and Alden Abbott to talk about their new book, Trade, Competition, and Domestic Regulatory Policy: Trade Liberalization, Competitive Markets and Property Rights […]

Australia, Chile and China are the top three sources of the world's lithium – the element essential to build the batteries that power electric vehicles. But that could change as mining operations progress in California's Imperial Valley. “Lithium Valley,” a vast underground reserve near the Salton Sea, contains enough lithium to meet all of U.S. future demand and more than one-third of global demand, according to the Governor's office. We learn more about the project and its impacts as part of Forum's “In Transit” series. Guests: Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law; podcast host, Climate Break Eduardo Garcia, Assemblymember, representing California's 36th State Assembly District in eastern Riverside County and Imperial County

Independent investigative journalism, broadcasting, trouble-making and muckraking with Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com

with Brad Friedman & Desi Doyen

This episode features Richard Kes, Partner at RSM. Here, he shares an update on what is going on in the interest rate environment and how that is affecting private equity deal flow.

This episode is sponsored by The Vacation Rental Formula Business School. Discover more about the VRF B-School: https://www.vacationrentalformula.com/business-school/ Listening to this podcast on the move? Get to the show notes here: https://www.vacationrentalformula.com/VRS493

Meet Mark Jacobson and David Keith, the leading techno-fixologists who overpromise overhyped “solutions” to the climate conundrum. Please share this episode with your friends and start a conversation.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.For an entertaining deep dive into the theme of season five (Phalse Prophets), read the definitive peer-reviewed taxonomic analysis from our very own Jason Bradford, PhD. Sources/Links/Notes:The Solutions ProjectCarbon EngineeringDavid W. Keith et al., "A Process for Capturing CO2 from the Atmosphere," Joule, August 15, 2018.Christopher T. M. Clack et al., "Evaluation of a proposal for reliable low-cost grid power with 100% wind, water, and solar," PNAS, June 19, 2017.Natanael Bolson, P. Prieto, and T. Patzek, "Capacity factors for electrical power generation from renewable and nonrenewable sources," PNAS, December 20, 2022.Simon Michaux's websiteRichard Heinberg, "Can Civilization Survive? These Studies Might Tell Us," Resilience, December 19, 2022.Average household electricity consumptionDavid Fridley and Richard Heinberg, "Can Climate Change Be Stopped by Turning Air Into Gasoline?," Renewable Energy World, June 19, 2018.Mark Jacobson on Late Night with David LettermanJames R. Martin, "Energy Transition & the Luxury Economy," Resilience, October 31, 2022.Yamina Saheb, Kai Kuhnhenn, and Juliane Schumacher, "It's a Very Western Vision of the World," Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung.Mark Z. Jacobson et al., "Low-cost solutions to global warming, air pollution, and energy insecurity for 145 countries," Energy & Environmental Science (2022).Nicole Jewell, "Leading Stanford climate scientist builds incredible net zero home, complete with Tesla Powerwall," In Habitat (2017).Raymond Pierrehumbert, "The trouble with geoengineers 'hacking the planet'," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (2017).Support the show

With inflation and interest rates being what they are, one of the most common questions that we get nowadays is, “Should I invest or pay off debt? What should I be doing with my money?” Everywhere in medicine, inflation has an impact. One of the common areas where this naturally happens a lot is in regards to reimbursement rates and income. Doctors realize, “Hey, I haven't gotten a substantial raise in five or ten years, maybe more. And yet, inflation in 2022 is 6-9%.” So when we face these unprecedented rates of inflation, it makes sense to ask, “Should I invest or pay off debt?” Let's dive in by covering specific financial tasks that doctors need to take into consideration. Looking for a comprehensive financial platform for doctors, by doctors that will help you to secure your financial future?  Make sure to check out HelloAttend.com

The world's first octopus farm is being planned by a Spanish seafood multinational. The intelligent creatures are difficult to rear in captivity, but numerous companies around the world have been trying and Nueva Pescanova has announced it's close to making an octopus farm a reality. Scientists and animal welfare groups have objected to the plans. Nueva Pescanova says the company's priority is to guarantee animal welfare by applying to the cultivation process the conditions of the species in the wild. Ruth Alexander finds out more about both sides of the debate with the BBC's Environment and Rural Affairs correspondent, Claire Marshall, who has been closely following the story from the beginning. She speaks to Dr Heather Browning, Lecturer in Philosophy at Southampton University in the UK and former zoo-keeper, about the capacity of octopuses to experience feelings; and how we form our opinions about what we should and shouldn't farm. And she finds out why octopus is central to Japanese cuisine with food writer and host of Japan Eats! podcast, Akiko Katayama. Presented by Ruth Alexander. Produced by Beatrice Pickup. (Image: an octopus with curling tentacles. Credit: Getty Images/BBC)

In this episode of Mama Says Namaste, we delve into the importance of play and fun in relationships. Our habits are formed during dating and can persist throughout our relationships, but it's important to create new ones to connect with each other. Breaking negative cycles and adding fun and discovery to your relationship can positively impact all your relationships. We discuss the role that playfulness and humor play in creating a successful partnership. Join us as we explore the benefits of play and the tools to improve all our relationships, not just our marriage.

An AF Resce Doc and Faculty at NYU in Gastroenterology discusses the diagnosis and treatment of diarrhea, as well as issues re: dehydration.

In this episode, I'm joined by Mario Canon. Mario is a rapper, actor, and motivational speaker. His tagline is "Creating vibes and changing lives"Mario has guest-starred as an actor on Fox's Empire and charted at 67 on iTunes with his latest music single.Additionally, he just received the All Hands On Deck Award in Chicago for his positive impact on the community.This episode is as real as it gets, with Mario sharing stories about his tough upbringing where he lost both of his siblings to gun violence before turning his life around - allowing him to go from broke and homeless to owning a gym and commercial real estate in a span of just 5 years.His message on how to create growth and change in places where opportunity and good examples can be hard to find is both necessary and unique. Inside The Episode:How Mario is flipping rap culture on it's head in a positive wayHow to take the "red pill" and begin creating the life you wantWhy groupthink is the greatest killer of success and how to avoid it2 things that can create massive changeIncredible real-life stories of overcoming adversityConnect with MarioMario's WebsiteInstagramConnect With BradleyBradley's InstagramSupport the show

A listener makes a good point about the writers' strike, a TV doctor examined a photo of Chris Pratt's foot, My Feet Are Killing Me is a pretty brutal show, celebrities are scared about what Britney Spears is going to put in her biography. CBS canceled SWAT but they brought it back, You stop feeling young at 43 but you don't yet feel old, a woman with no water survived stranded in a dense bush in Australia, and Vinnie reads your texts!

In this episode, I chat about... why being lazy helped me manifest how to tap into your own laziness without feeling guilty 4 energetic drains on your femininity why you need to put your phone down asap Get inside the Goddess Glow Up Experience here! (use code 24HOURS for discount) ***WELCOME TO MY WORLD***

Dr. Diana Aga is the Henry M. Woodburn Chair and a State University of New York (SUNY) Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo. She also serves as the Director of RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute at the University at Buffalo. Diana is an environmental chemist. She studies sustainable agriculture and pollutants such as the “forever chemicals” (Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS)) that we frequently encounter in our everyday lives. When it's warm outside, Diana enjoys biking and hiking, and when it's cold she spends more time indoors watching movies. Cooking is another one of Diana's hobbies, and she is particularly fond of making Filipino food, creatively reusing leftovers, and recreating restaurant favorites at home. Diana received a B.S. degree in agricultural chemistry from the University of the Philippines, Los Baños and her PhD in analytical chemistry from the University of Kansas. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology. Diana worked on the faculty at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and then in industry at Bayer before joining the faculty at the University at Buffalo. She has received numerous awards for her research, teaching, and mentoring, including the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, the Koh Lectureship Award in Science from the Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering, the Jacob F. Schoellkopf Medal of the Western New York Chapter of the American Chemical Society (ACS), a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Menzie Environmental Education Award from The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and the Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award from the University at Buffalo. Diana has also been named a Fulbright Fellow, an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellow, an ACS Fellow, and an ACS AGRO Fellow. In this interview, Diana shares more about her life and science.