Greenhouse Gas, Energy, Wilderness, Fracking, Meatpacking, and BLM

 #Greenhouse Gas Producers - "Dairy products account for less than 2% of U.S. greenhouse emissions,and agriculture accounts for about 9%. In comparison, transportation, electricity generation,and industry account for about 80 %. The real culprit is fossil fuels." (Source The New Yorker, March 30, 2020.)

#Most Motivated Voters - "Research by the Environmental Voter Project found that voters who view climate and the environment as the top priorities are the most motivated to vote," "[More] than 130 cities and seven states would commit to transitioning to 100% clean energy." (Source: Michael Bruce, "Last Best Chance," The New Yorker, March 30, 2020.)

#Energy Efficiency - "Twenty-five % of Detroit's low-income households spend more than 15%  of their income on energy, which is more than four times the city median." (Source: Krista Karlone, "Energy Efficiency for All," The New Yorker, March 30, 2020.)

#Bag Carrier of Coronavirus - "On February 28, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, posted to its website: "Whether reusable bag could become significant carriers of the coronavirus remains to be seen, but there are good reasons to fear that they will harbor other equally dangerous bacteria and viruses transmitted from carrying meat and produce." "By March 18, the Plastics Industry Association requested that the Department of Health and Human Services endorse the idea that 'single-use plastic products are the most sanitary choice when it comes to any applications,' according to Politico." 

#Sweeping Wilderness Legislation - "Last year, Congress passed sweeping legislation that, among other things, made permanent the Land and Water Conservation Fund; established more than 700,000 acres of new federal wilderness; and authorized the 'Every Kid Outdoors' program, which gives fourth graders and their families free admission to national parks." "Some 836 million acres -- nearly one in three acres across the territory of the United States -- are owed by the public." 

#Fracking and Coal Industries Devastated - Many of the rollbacks and revisions jammed through cover of Covid-19 by EPA administrator (and former coal lobbyist) Andrew Wheeler, have been intended to prop up the dying coal industry. "This glut,combined with the price war between Russia ad Saudi Arabia had devastated the U.S. fracking industry. Similarly, reduced demand for nonresidential electricity has kayoed the already staggering coal industry." Source: Paul Rauber, "Under Cover of COVID," Sierra, July/August 2020.) 

#Meatpackers Suffer - "In rural America, especially in the Midwest and Great Plains, meatpacking plants became some of the most significant COVID-19 hot spots." [As of late June], more than 1,000 cases had been lined to a single Smithfield pork packing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota." "In recent years, meatpackers have pushed for loosening of government oversight to allow production lines to move faster, yielding more meat and greater profits, with less inspection from the Department of Agriculture, and less oversight of work conditions by OSHA."  Kim Cordova, president of OFCW, Local 7,believes that: "Once it became apparent that many people were testing positive, they just stopped testing. They don't want the world to know how many are sick in that plant." "By the end of April, public health officials in Nebraska connected 237 cases of COVID-19 directly to the Grand Island plant, and Hall County, where the plant resides, accounted for nearly 40 percent of the state's cases." "Alas, the response from those who dictate labor conditions has been the opposite. As capacity to slaughter and butcher cattle and hogs dropped by more than 20 percent between the beginning and end of April, and prices started to climb."

#BLM Chrges Ahead - "The Bureau of Land Management has charged ahead with a minimal 10-day comment period for its planned May release of thousands of acres of public land in southeast New Mexico." "More than 45,000 acres of public land in Southeastern New Mexico's Permian Basin still up for sale and more fracking." (Source: Miya King-Flaerty, "BLM charges ahead," Rio Grande Sierran, May/June 2020.) 

ADDENDUMS:

*Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar rebuked ousted federal vaccine official Rick Bright about his coronavirus response, saying his allegations "do not hold water." "Everything he is complaining about was achieved. Everything he talked about was done." Bright had warned about the "darkest winter in modern history."

*Trump has ousted the IG for the State Department, Steve A. Linick, H and H Services IG, Christi Griman, Pentagon IG, Glenn Fine, and the IG for the intelligence community, Michael Atkinson. 

*Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell contends that Trump has the power to fire anyone in the Executive Branch.

*President Obama refused to request Team Trump's known Russia ties,and insisted that any action be done "by the  book." Apparently, "Obamagate" means doing the right thing.