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Interior Department announces proposal for hunting, fishing expansion
John McAdams Recreation & LeisureHunters and anglers received some good news earlier this month when Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced plans to further expand hunting and fishing opportunities on dozens of properties managed by the National Wildlife Refuge System all over the United States. You're right if you're thinking you've heard news like this before: then-Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke made a similar announcement expanding public access for hunting and fishing on National Wildlife Refuges a year ago. The plan announced by Secretary Bernhardt opens additional public lands to hunting and fishing on top of those opened last year.
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Overcoming obstacles to teaching about climate change
Sheilamary Koch EducationA radio program, entitled "Teaching Climate Change: Push and Pull," aired on April 23 on Washington, D.C.'s WAMU-FM immediately following the release of a new NPR/Ipsos poll showing that teaching climate change in schools is supported by over 80% of teachers in the U.S. Teachers backing climate change education may not surprise you — what's alarming is the gap between support for it and its prevalence in K-12 schools around the country. The nationally representative poll of 505 teachers showed 86% in favor of climate change education — yet only 42% actually teach it.
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Department of Energy: Renewables create massive savings for facilities
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsFor business organizations, renewable energy can be a costly capital investment, but more companies are experiencing the successes of their efforts to reduce the energy used within their buildings and plants. One program created to help facilities leaders explore the opportunity of renewables is the Better Buildings Initiative from the U.S. Department of Energy. According to the agency, the program is meant to work "across industries to provide guidance and to document effective approaches for installing renewable technologies including solar, wind and geothermal." Per the government’s reporting on the issue, many organizations are making headway with solar.
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As Arctic permafrost deteriorates, EPA elects to lift coal emission rules
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is lifting coal emissions limits in the U.S.' latest environmental deregulation move. This comes at a time when scientists from northerly latitudes have released sensitive data regarding the planet's warming. You've heard the word "permafrost" but aren't sure why it’s important, right? Arctic permafrost is the frozen layer beneath the ground surface that remains frozen for two years or longer. Described as "the glue that holds the northern landscape together," scientists and climate change activists have been sounding the alarm. The glue is disappearing before our eyes: some even suggest up to 70 years earlier than expected.
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Labor, environment shape USMCA debate
Michelle R. Matisons ManufacturingU.S.-Mexico relations currently revolve around two distinct discourses. One discourse emphasizes separation and punishment, as President Trump seeks support for his border wall while Mexico strengthens border control. The other discourse emphasizes economic cooperation and trade relations, which we witness as tariff threats fade and renewed talk of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) passing in Congress heats up.
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EPA’s Energy Star program gets updates, new building certifications
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsThere have been several updates to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, including changes to the Star score. The score ranges from one to 100, which is the current national benchmark for energy performance. Per program guidance, facility managers and users enter information about their buildings into Portfolio Manager, the EPA’s online resource management tool that is used to assess the status of the application submitted. Then, using this information, which includes key operational details and actual energy use, Portfolio Manager calculates a score that compares a building’s energy performance to similar buildings nationwide.
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The final word on what the legislative session meant for outdoorsmen in…
John McAdams Recreation & LeisureThe 86th Session of the Texas Legislature is in the books. As previously discussed, there were two pieces of legislation under consideration that were of particular concern to sportsmen and women. One pertained to hog hunting in the Lone Star State while the other involved a sales tax holiday on firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies. First, we’ll start with the news on the hog hunting front. SB 317 was passed by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on May 31. The bill takes effect on Sept. 1 and amends state law to permit hunters to take feral hogs on private land without possessing a hunting license.
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Youth climate change lawsuit controversy continues
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalSeven-generation sustainability is the idea that we should only impact the earth in a manner that can sustain itself seven generations into the future. We may be far from that sensibility today, and time is running out, but young people are making a notable contribution to nothing short of planetary survival. From jobs to health to education, many issues connect to the planet’s future, and the young will bear the greatest brunt of any negative ecological developments.
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Walmart joins worldwide effort to reduce its plastic consumption
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalThe war on plastic continues. In April, the Oregon Senate approved a limited ban on plastic straws. Its passage would make the state the second after California to enact measures limiting single-use plastic straws. Several individual cities, including Seattle; New York City; and Portland, Oregon, have also implemented their own policies to curb plastic straw usage. Not to be outdone, retail giant Walmart announced a "bold" plastic waste reduction commitment by "leveraging its massive private brand program." In addition to reducing plastic packaging, it is doing away with plastic bags.
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Study: 3 in 10 toddlers spending less than 3 hours outside per week
Jackie Cambridge Medical & Allied HealthcareA recent study by Kiddi Caru asked U.K. parents about the amount of outdoor time their child gets, weather permitting. 31% said they get three hours or less weekly outdoor time, in spite of 100% of respondents agreeing that outdoor time is crucial to a child’s development. This is surprisingly little, considering the same percentage (31%) get two to three hours of screen time per day, with 11% getting over four hours daily.
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