TUESDAYS — YOUR INBOX — ASSUREDLY News you can use. Facts to act on.YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST Please direct your Dillons shopping points to us. ______________________________________________________________________
CURATED ECOLOGICAL NEWS Rights of Nature Tribunal seeks binding authority
“In Western legal systems, arguments against pollution or the destruction of the environment tend to focus exclusively on people. But what if a river had an inherent right to be protected from pollution, regardless of its utility to humans? This is the idea that drives the ‘rights of nature’ movement. Many Indigenous worldviews already recognize these rights. “The question for many in the movement, however, is how to bring the rights of nature into the courtroom. Enter the International Rights of Nature Tribunal, a recurring gathering of Indigenous and environmental advocates who present arguments regarding alleged violations of the rights of nature and Indigenous peoples. “At the sixth tribunal in Toronto late last month, a panel of nine judges heard cases against Canadian mining companies. ‘Today’s testimonies have emphasized the age-old stories of greed, colonization … and the ongoing ecocide caused by the extractive industries’, said Casey Camp-Horinek, an elder of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma and one of the tribunal’s judges. “The verdict against the mining companies is set to be presented later this year at the COP30 climate conference in Brazil. The tribunal judges hope their findings will pressure countries to develop legal protections for nature and Indigenous peoples.” More at: 20 quadrillion ants: making Gaia habitable
“The little red and brown termite Syntermes dirus might be less than an inch long. But it can literally move mountains. The Brazilian insect is the chief architect of earthen mounds as much as four meters tall that carpet a section of eastern Brazil the size of Virginia. There, 90 million mounds represent earth moving equal to 900 of Egypt’s Great Pyramid. “‘The role of animals in shaping Earth’s landscapes is much more significant than previously recognized’, said Gemma Harvey of Queen Mary University of London. Harvey and colleagues counted nearly 500 wild species and five domesticated livestock where scientists have documented their ability to influence the shape of the landscape, from the lowly ant to the African elephant. “In many cases, it’s as simple as a creature such as a tortoise digging an underground burrow, which then paves the way for mice and crickets to add their little burrows to the maze. Don’t forget the roughly 20 quadrillion ants, many moving one grain of soil at a time. “Adding them up is what Harvey and company did. These wild animals expend roughly 76,000 gigajoules per year shaping the Earth, the equivalent of more than half a million major river floods. ‘These diverse natural processes are crucial, yet we risk losing them as biodiversity declines’, said Harvey.” More at: Wildfire season and Kansas drought
“Kansas firefighting officials are working to improve state wildfire response, prevention, and education following the release of a report from Gov. Laura Kelly’s wildfire task force. The 2023 report provided 30 recommendations. “As a method of fire prevention, the authors of the report encouraged the removal of woody encroachment with a particular focus on the Eastern Red Cedar, a conifer that grows in rockier outcroppings and dryer soil throughout Kansas. Eastern Red Cedar is a nuisance species that is actually a breed of juniper. Since they’re a natural prairie species, they’re pretty tough trees. “The scope of woody encroachment was revealed in 2016 when the Anderson Creek fire scorched 300,000 acres in Comanche and Barber counties, and in 2017 with the 460,000-acre Starbuck fire in Clark, Meade, and Comanche counties. Residential areas came under threat in 2022 when the Cottonwood fire in Reno County killed one person, burned more than 6,000 acres, and destroyed 36 homes, 92 outbuildings and 110 vehicles.” More at: Kansas aquifer and water funding below what’s needed
“Ogallala Aquifer levels in parts of western Kansas that rely on groundwater for everything from drinking to irrigation fell more than a foot last year, Kansas Geological Survey scientists said in January. The Ogallala, the largest underground store of freshwater in the nation, has been declining for decades because of overuse to irrigate crops in otherwise arid parts of the state. “After World War II, a boom in groundwater irrigation transformed arid western Kansas into an agricultural powerhouse. But the aquifer refills far more slowly than farmers are draining it, leading to a gradual decline. “Kansas communities in the last two years have requested more than $600 million for water needs from the state’s two new water grant programs, stunning state officials. For the fiscal year that ended in June, the state received requests totaling more than $380 million. But the state had just $18 million available. This year, the state has received requests totaling $227 million but has just $27 million to spend. “Water projects have been underfunded for years. In a webinar about her plans, Gov. Laura Kelly said water would be a ‘top priority’ for her final two years in office. Kelly noted when she took office, the state was not funding its water plan.” More at: Musk burning through his billions with rocket explosions
“After SpaceX’s Starship megarocket exploded during a test flight in January, the company had hoped for a better outcome when it attempted a launch on Thursday. But once more, the world’s biggest spacecraft spiraled out of control and exploded, minutes after being launched from Texas. “‘Prior to the end of the ascent burn, an energetic event [euphemism for explosion] in the aft portion of Starship resulted in the loss of several Raptor engines’, SpaceX said in a statement. ‘This in turn led to a loss of attitude control and ultimately a loss of communications with Starship’. “On January 16, SpaceX similarly lost communication with the prior vehicle’s upper stage after about 8 minutes. It subsequently blew up over the Caribbean, sending dust and small pieces of debris falling over parts of Turks and Caicos. After that accident, the FAA launched an investigation which is ongoing. The FAA is one of many federal agencies the Trump administration has targeted for budget and personnel cuts.” More at: Lawsuit challenges the very existence of DOGE
“The environmental organization Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against several federal agencies over President Donald Mump’s* so-called Department of Government Efficiency (pronounced DODGY). The suit is the first of its kind, and is aimed at protecting government-funded environmental work including climate research and protecting public lands. “This case concerns a flagrant violation of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (‘FACA’), which requires transparency, open public participation, and balanced representation when the President or executive branch agencies establish or use non-federal bodies for the purpose of seeking advice or recommendations. “President Mump* issued an Executive Order, the ‘DOGE EO’, establishing a ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (‘DOGE’) by renaming the United States Digital Service as the United States DOGE Service (‘USDS’). “The DOGE EO requires all federal agencies to establish ‘DOGE’ Teams, which are ‘advisory committees’ as that term is defined under FACA, and will be controlled by Elon Musk, creating the potential for massive conflicts of interest.” More at: * Mump regime — Musk plus Trump = Mu…mp. Tariffs have a way of biting you from behind
“There’s no telling exactly where the Mump* administration’s trade war is going as the president authorizes tariffs and then quickly suspends them, only to authorize them again and suspend them again. The administration’s shotgun approach to tariffs risks a cutoff of strategic minerals that could strangle America’s tech industry. “The United States is dangerously dependent on other countries for a wide-ranging list of metals. Responses to tariffs can take the form of export restrictions that deny the United States key commodities. China currently controls 69% of rare earth elements (REE) mine production and almost 90% of the processing of these elements. REEs are critical for modern electronics, strong magnets used in hybrid cars and wind turbines, X-ray and MRI scanning equipment, etc. There are no viable substitutes for these metals. “In December, China banned exports of gallium, germanium and antimony to the United States. The ban on Chinese exports of gallium, germanium and antimony signals that China is willing to take the economic pain involved in denying itself sales into the U. S. market in order to make a point.” More at: * Mump regime — Musk plus Trump = Mu…mp. Electric vehicles gaining ground in U.S. and globally
“In 2024 EVs grew to 8% of all cars sold in the United States and are expected to reach 10% this year — a remarkable acceleration since 2015 when EVs were less than 1% of total sales. The U.S. has also emerged as the global leader in international EV manufacturing. Since 2021, the U.S. received more private EV manufacturing investments than any other region in the world, reversing China’s years of dominance. “The global EV transition continued at a remarkable pace in 2024, setting new records with nearly 17 million EVs sold worldwide. EVs also accounted for 21% of all passenger vehicle sales, up from 18% the previous year. Meanwhile, conventional gas-powered car sales have fallen dramatically from a peak of 90 million in 2017 to just 62 million in 2024. “When factoring in fuel and maintenance savings, EVs already cost less in many situations, and EVs are cheaper to charge than filling up a gas-powered car everywhere across the U.S. Within a few years, EVs will have a distinct upfront cost advantage, creating self-propelling momentum.” More at: Be car-free at a fraction of the cost with an electric cargo bicycle
“I love my bicycle. If I could, I’d ride it everywhere for fun and even run errands on it. I’ve always wanted to put a dent in the car usage and get greener about getting around, but that’s been a tough nut to crack. Heavy loads and big hills made me think an electric cargo bike could do the trick, but there was a bigger obstacle than the hill — money. A good electric cargo bike can easily cost over $2,000 and as much as $8,500. “Enter the Australian company, Wombi. It leases three different Tern electric cargo bikes for $135 to $175 per month. I couldn’t risk a couple grand trying out a bike, but I could swing a reasonable monthly charge to see how these bikes suited me. According to a company rep, most people opt for accessories that allow them to carry extra passengers — kids, other adults, or pets. “The Tern HSD I chose is the midsize model in Wombi’s offerings, with a 400-pound total capacity (rider and cargo). Wombi offers two other bikes. The speedy and nimble Quick Haul is what you might call a light-haul commuter that carries a total of 330 pounds. The other one is the GSD, which can take 440 pounds, that Wombi refers to as the one to ‘replace the family van’.” More at: | 
