SACRAMENTO — Striking a blow against a pernicious form of pollution, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Thursday the nation’s most far-reaching restrictions on single-use plastics and packaging. The legislation heads off a November ballot measure that many lawmakers and the plastics industry hoped to avoid, and it puts California at the forefront of national efforts to eliminate polystyrene and other plastics that litter the environment, degrade into toxic particles and increasingly inhabit human blood, tissue and organs. Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) had tried for years to get state legislators to tackle the growing plastic pollution crisis but has faced opposition from the plastics industry, some food container manufacturers and environmentalists who believe the law doesn’t go far enough. “Relief,” was how he described his emotional state after the legislation was signed. “It’s been a long journey.” The California Senate approved the bill Thursday morning with 29 ayes … [Read more...] about Newsom signs nation’s most sweeping law to phase out single-use plastics and packaging waste
Environmentalism
Construction Begins In Marina Del Rey For DISC Surgery Center
0 Business The DISC Sports & Spine Center's new surgery center is slated to open in Marina Del Rey in early 2023. Rachel Barnes , Patch Staff Posted | Updated Reply MARINA DEL REY, CA — Construction has begun for a new ambulatory surgery center from DISC Sports & Spine Center in Marina Del Rey. The surgery center is slated to open in early 2023 and will be located next to DISC 's existing musculoskeletal clinic in Steelwave's Marina Park. The first center was built in the city 16 years ago, and this new 11,000 square foot building is projected to treat 1,000 complex spine cases annually. "Over these past 16 years, we have embraced a fierce commitment to constantly evaluate, learn, innovate and fine-tune every part of the patient experience, whether the cases are simple or complex," explained Dr. Robert S. Bray Jr — founding director and pioneering neurological spine surgeon. "Our new facility is the product … [Read more...] about Construction Begins In Marina Del Rey For DISC Surgery Center
Wall Street Does Damage Control After GOP Targets Woke Capital
Big banks that use their vast financial assets to oppose the fossil fuel industry in the name of reducing climate change are doing damage control as state treasurers and lawmakers take action against woke environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing. By taking environmental concerns into account in their investment decisions, large financial firms such as BlackRock , Goldman Sachs , JPMorgan , Wells Fargo and Morgan Stanley are operating what some policy experts, GOP lawmakers, and state treasurers say is an effective boycott of the fossil fuel industry. Republican state treasurers have taken note of this practice, and many are pushing back. In July, West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore blocked five major financial firms from doing business in the state. (RELATED: ‘Complete Collapse’: Here’s How ESG Destroyed One Nation’s Economy) “Pursuant to West Virginia Code §§12 1C 1, et seq., the West Virginia State Treasurer is authorized to prepare and … [Read more...] about Wall Street Does Damage Control After GOP Targets Woke Capital
McDonald’s discontinued its fake meat burger the McPlant. Good riddance.
Last week, McDonald’s confirmed to CNBC that its U.S. test of the McPlant burger has ended. Yes, that means the fast food corporation’s first ever meatless burger is no more, absent any announcement of a nationwide launch. This news may be disappointing news to some fans of the burger, but as a mostly-vegetarian, I say good riddance. When I tried the McPlant burger back in February , when it first launched in Bay Area restaurants , I declared it a McNope. The Beyond Meat patty made with peas, rice and potatoes was lacking in flavor, and its presentation conjured the words "floppy," "soggy" and "gloopy." I concluded that I would only eat it under dire circumstances. So I can't say I'm too sad to see it go. But it is a little disappointing to see how little interest Americans seem to have in eating plant-based burgers. J.P. Morgan analyst Ken Goldman told CNBC that McDonald's employees claimed the burger wasn't selling very well. According to analysis from BTIG , … [Read more...] about McDonald’s discontinued its fake meat burger the McPlant. Good riddance.
Hot nights: US in July sets new record for overnight warmth
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 Talk about hot nights, America got some for the history books last month. The continental United States in July set a record for overnight warmth, providing little relief from the day’s sizzling heat for people, animals, plants and the electric grid, meteorologists said. The average low temperature for the Lower 48 states in July was 63.6 degrees (17.6 Celsius), which beat the previous record set in 2011 by a few hundredths of a degree. The mark is not only the hottest nightly average for July, but for any month in 128 years of record keeping, said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climatologist Karin Gleason. July’s nighttime low was more than 3 degrees (5.4 Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average. Scientists have long talked about nighttime temperatures -- reflected in increasingly hotter minimum readings that usually occur after sunset and before sunrise -- being … [Read more...] about Hot nights: US in July sets new record for overnight warmth
Judge revives Obama-era ban on coal sales from US lands
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday reinstated a moratorium on coal leasing from federal lands that was imposed under former President Barack Obama and then scuttled under former President Donald Trump, in an order that marked a major setback to the already struggling coal industry. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Brian Morris requires government officials to conduct a new environmental review before they can resume coal sales from federal lands. Morris faulted the government's previous review of the program, done under Trump, for failing to adequately consider the climate damage from coal's greenhouse gas emissions and other effects. Almost half the nation’s annual coal production — some 260 million tons last year — is mined by private companies from leases on federal land, primarily in Western states such as Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. Few coal leases were sold in recent years after demand for the fuel shrank drastically. But the industry’s opponents … [Read more...] about Judge revives Obama-era ban on coal sales from US lands