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Advocates ask Governor Murphy to Invest in Environmental Protection in Upcoming Budget Proposal

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TRENTON – A broad-based coalition of environmental advocates is asking Governor Murphy to invest in key areas to protect public health and the environment in his upcoming state budget proposal.

In a letter sent to Governor Murphy in advance of his annual Budget Address, they asked the governor to focus on five priorities, including investing in clean energy to improving NJ Transit, that would reduce harmful emissions and ensure that every New Jersey resident can breathe clean air, drink pure water, and have access to open space.

“After winning a historic re-election, Governor Murphy has a unique opportunity to harness New Jerseyans’ passion for environmental protection by using the state budget to hasten our transition to clean energy, invest in our state trails and parks, and address issues of environmental justice,” said Ed Potosnak, Executive Director of New Jersey LCV. “We look forward to working with the governor to build off of his successful first-term environmental record and make New Jersey the vanguard of environmental protection by ensuring that environmental concerns are central to this year’s budget process.”

The letter, signed by 18 organizations, lays out five key environmental priorities:

● Advance clean energy. Advocates urged the governor to end raids to the state’s Clean Energy Funds and instead focus investment on projects that expand access to renewable energy.
● Support healthy homes and buildings. Trenton should preserve funding for lead mitigation programs and roll out a new $15 million pilot program that electrifies homes to reduce emissions and improve indoor air quality.
● Build resilience to climate disasters. The state should provide full funding to the Delaware River Basin Commission to support the agency’s work in flood mitigation and also invest $10 million in a new program that provides funding for local municipalities seeking to implement local and regional climate resilience programs.
● Progress NJ Transit. A robust public transit system is vital for reducing emissions and improving air quality, and advocates are asking the state to end repeated raids of NJ Transit and identify new, dedicated funding sources that provide the agency with the resources it needs.
● Fund parks and trails. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of open space to New Jersey residents. Advocates are calling for a $6 million investment in urban parks to ensure that all residents, no matter their ZIP code, have access to green space, as well as $9.9 million for tax relief to municipalities that host state lands.

“The New Jersey League of Conservation Voters has again reached out to our many partners in the State and together have recommended to the administration and legislature important goals for keeping New Jersey the leader in environmental protection,” said Julia Somers, New Jersey LCV Board Chair and Executive Director of the New Jersey Highlands Coalition. “We pledge to work to support these programs and outcomes — it’s the most important work we can do!”

“As highlighted in a recent interview by Eric Stiles, President & CEO of our NWF affiliate New Jersey Audubon, studies have shown a strong correlation between access to open spaces and school performance,” said Marcus Sibley, National Wildlife Federation NY Metro Director of Conservation Partnerships. “Therefore, in addition to our support for increased funding of our parks and trails, we also advocate for the much-needed investments in all priorities mentioned in the FY23 Budget Letter. For the sake of all inhabitants of this planet, it is imperative that we are best equipped to effectively and equitably fight this fight for our environment.”

“The impacts of climate change are no longer abstract for New Jersey’s coastal and riverine communities. Inland communities are dealing with more frequent and intense flood events that have intensified in just the last few years. With nearly $5 billion of coastal real estate and the highest number of affordable housing units at risk of flooding in the nation, it’s time for New Jersey to make strong commitments to climate resilience and adaptation strategies,” said Cortney Koenig Worrall, President and CEO, Waterfront Alliance. “Waterfront Alliance supports the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters’ FY23 budget priorities to ensure we are taking necessary steps to protect New Jersey’s people, infrastructure, and natural ecosystems from climate change”.

“Budgets reflect priorities and values,” said Jen Coffey, Executive Director of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions.” We are asking for climate resiliency, clean energy, good public transportation, and open space to be priorities in the next budget because we know the people of New Jersey value these assets.”

“Transitioning to a more equitable clean energy economy will create new business opportunities and family-supporting jobs,” said Richard Lawton, Executive Director of the NJ Sustainable Business Council. “To do so at the necessary speed and scale, however, requires that both private and public investment be aligned and redirected toward actualizing this common goal. In order to neutralize the inertia of “business as usual” and its associated risks and costs, the state’s budget must be designed and allocated in ways that will equitably enhance resilience, sustainability, and public health.”

“We need to invest more in clean energy, public transit, reducing pollution, climate resiliency, and greening our communities,” said Tom Gilbert, co-executive director, NJ Conservation Foundation. “Doing so will more than pay for itself through improved public health, safer and more livable communities, good local jobs, and a stronger economy.”

“NJ TRANSIT’s budget has been hit hard since the start of COVID. Thankfully, the agency has been able to utilize the available federal emergency relief money to maintain stable fares and keep full service for its riders. This has been especially important for the state’s transit-dependent riders, many of whom are low income,” said Janna Chernetz, Deputy Director, Tri-State Transportation Campaign. “However, the state needs to continue to look for ways to put NJ TRANSIT back on the road to fiscal solvency before the emergency money runs out. Adequate, reliable, and dedicated revenue must be identified to meet the agency’s operating needs without the continued overuse of capital raids. Electrification mandates and system expansion must be prioritized and that requires making every capital dollar count.”

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US military to close fuel storage facility in Hawaii where water was contaminated by leak | National

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The Department of Defense will close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii permanently, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday.

The facility was temporarily closed after water was contaminated by a petroleum leak from the facility that sickened military families and children in Hawaii in November.

The facility will be defueled and closed permanently, Kirby said. The fuel will be repositioned in “a few locations,” Kirby said.

The incident in November left thousands of military families and people in the local community in Hawaii without safe drinking water.

The fuel facility sits 100 feet above the Red Hill aquifer, which supplies drinking water to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and other parts of Hawaii. Nearly 1 million people on Oahu rely on it for water, according to the Hawaii Board of Water Supply.

Kirby said the military is committed to mitigating the impacts of the November incident.

“We are restoring safe drinking water to all residents, and we’re providing best in class sampling and testing to ensure the continued safety of the drinking water,” Kirby said.

The Commander of US Pacific Fleet has ordered a “command investigation” into the November incident, Kirby added.

“When that review is complete, the Navy will publicly release the report and continue to work closely with the Department of Health in Hawaii about pursuing follow on actions, that work continues,” Kirby said.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement that closing the facility is “the right thing to do.”

“When we use land for military purposes, at home or abroad, we commit to being good stewards of that resource. Closing Red Hill meets that commitment,” he said.

The Defense Department will also create an “environmental mitigation plan” to address any future contamination concerns, Austin said.

“We will continue our work with the Hawaii Department of Health, national and local elected officials, and other community leaders, to clean up the water at the Red Hill well. And we will develop an environmental mitigation plan to address any future contamination concerns,” he said.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire

™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Steve Almasy contributed to this report.

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Avita warns of phone scams

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By March 7, 2022 3:20 pm

BUCYRUS / GALION / ONTARIO—Avita Health System has received reports of scammers calling community members and requesting payment over the phone for outstanding medical bills or asking for personal information to confirm upcoming appointments or medication refills. The scammers pretend to work in Avita’s billing department, medical offices, or hospitals.

“The individuals behind these phone scams do not have access to patient information,” explained Alex Reed, Chief Information Officer at Avita Health System. “They are cold-calling people in our service area in an attempt to collect personal information, including social security numbers and financial data.”

If you receive a call regarding an outstanding bill from Avita, the caller should be able to tell you the specific date of service, the exact amount owed, and answer questions about the services you received.

“We have received numerous reports of phone scams over the past few years and have noted an increase in the prevalence of calls recently,” said Reed. “We ask our patients to please be cautious of scammers and the personal information that you provide over the phone.”

Phone scams can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

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Cana Launches Molecular Drink Printer That Makes Any Beverage You Want

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And you thought your Keurig was high-tech. California-based company Cana has created a first-of-its-kind machine—also known as “the world’s first molecular beverage printer”—that doesn’t require so much as a pod to whip up your drink. Not to mention its capability to create “thousands” of different recipes from just a one-ingredient cartridge alone.

Just last week, Cana announced the official presale of its countertop drink maker, dubbed the Cana One. 

“Cana’s team spent three years studying what we drink at the molecular level, commercializing breakthrough research in flavor and analytical chemistry,” the company said in a press release. “Cana scientists identified and isolated the specific trace compounds that drive flavor and aroma for thousands of unique commercially available beverages. They created the world’s first universal beverage ingredient set, which recreates thousands of different drinks using a simplified set of ingredients that can be printed out of a long-lasting ingredient cartridge.”

The Cana One can reportedly create iced coffee, iced tea, sparkling tea, energy water, flavored water, sports drinks, soft drinks, hard seltzer, cocktails, and wine, among other selections. You can even customize sugar levels, caffeine, and alcohol.

“Cana One is designed to give each customer convenience, savings, and an experience they didn’t know they were craving—while cleaning up the planet,” CEO Matt Mahar said in a press release. “It’s like having a personalized beverage aisle in your kitchen—with zero trash or hassle from plastic, aluminum, and glass containers.”

You can currently reserve your Cana One printer for $99, and the deposit will later be applied to your final purchase. The pricing currently varies between $499 for the first 10,000 orders and $799 for those after, with the promise of an early 2023 delivery date. The cartridges are even replaced for free, but you’ll have to cough up cash per drink. The menu features sparkling water for just $0.29 up to $2.99 for an actual cocktail. Price seems right to me? 

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Houseplants can instantly reduce indoor air pollution • Earth.com

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In a new study from the University of Birmingham, experts have confirmed that potted houseplants can substantially improve indoor air quality in homes and offices. The researchers found that houseplants were particularly effective in reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide.

“Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a significant pollutant in both outdoor and indoor environments with exposure linked to serious respiratory illnesses, decreased lung function and airway inflammation,” wrote the study authors.  

“Here, we investigate whether potted plants can contribute as a simple and cost-effective indoor air pollution mitigation technique.”

The researchers conducted a series of experiments in which they monitored common houseplants that were exposed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The results suggest that plants can remove NO2 by up to 20 percent, depending on the conditions. 

The study was focused on three species of houseplants: Spathiphyllum wallisii (peace lily), Dracaena fragrans (corn plant), and Zamioculcas zamiifolia (fern arum). The plants were individually placed in chambers which contained an amount of NO2 that could be realistically found in an office on a busy street. 

The experiment showed that all of the plants, regardless of species, were able to remove around half the NO2 in the chamber within just one hour.  

“The plants we chose were all very different from each other, yet they all showed strikingly similar abilities to remove NO2 from the atmosphere,” said lead researcher Dr. Christian Pfrang.

“This is very different from the way indoor plants take up CO2 in our earlier work, which is strongly dependent on environmental factors such as night time or daytime, or soil water content.”

Based on the results of the experiment, the experts estimated how the plants would affect air in a small- or medium-sized office with different levels of ventilation. The team calculated that in a poorly ventilated small office with high levels of air pollution, five houseplants could reduce NO2 levels by around 20 percent.  

The ability of houseplants to quickly and effectively remove nitrogen dioxide are clear, but the underlying mechanism remains a mystery.

“We don’t think the plants are using the same process as they do for CO2 uptake, in which the gas is absorbed through stomata – tiny holes – in the leaves,” explained Dr. Pfrang.

“There was no indication, even during longer experiments, that our plants released the NO2 back into the atmosphere, so there is likely a biological process taking place also involving the soil the plant grows in – but we don’t yet know what that is.”

Dr. Tijana Blanusa is the principal horticultural scientist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and one of the researchers involved in the study. He said the research complements RHS efforts to understand scientific detail behind what we know to be a popular passion. “Understanding the limits of what we can expect from plants helps us plan and advise on planting combinations that not only look good but also provide an important environmental service.”

The study is published in the journal Air Quality Atmosphere & Health.

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

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Greenstein Bill to Establish the ‘New Jersey Small Business Indoor Air Quality Management Support Program’ Advances

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Greenstein Bill to Establish the ‘New Jersey Small Business Indoor Air Quality Management Support Program’ Advances

 

 

Trenton – In an effort to improve air quality for employees of New Jersey’s small businesses, the Senate Labor Committee today advanced legislation sponsored by Senator Linda Greenstein that would establish the ‘New Jersey Small Business Indoor Air Quality Management Support Program.’

 

The bill, S-289, would provide loans to eligible small businesses for the improvement of indoor air quality. The program would be administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which would consult with the Department of Environmental Protection as it applies to indoor air quality standards.

 

“We are all well aware of the financial burdens small businesses have had to face due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senator Greenstein (D-Mercer/Middlesex). “As businesses have continued to reopen, ensuring they have sufficient air quality to mitigate the spread of the virus has become a costly strain. By establishing the New Jersey Small Business Indoor Air Quality Management Support Program, we will be able to aid businesses as they make smart and healthy investments into their infrastructure to keep their patrons and employees safe.”

 

Under the bill, the loan funds would be able to be applied to any aspect of the eligible small business intent to improve the business’ indoor air quality, including, capital purchases, employee training, and salaries.

 

The bill was released from committee by a vote of 5-0.

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Bill that would allow vets exposed to toxic water to sue passes House

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The House has passed a bill from U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright and two of his colleagues from North Carolina that would allow those harmed by contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune to sue for compensation.

Cartwright (D-Moosic) worked on the legislation with Reps. Gregory Murphy and David Price, a Republican and a Democrat, respectively, from North Carolina, where Camp Lejeune is located.

Under this legislation, veterans and others who were exposed to the contaminated water for at least 30 days would be able to file suits in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, something that previously wasn’t possible “because of a unique provision in North Carolina law,” according to a press release announcing the bill’s passage in the House.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, Marines, their family members and Camp Lejeune staff “used government provided tap water that was contaminated with harmful chemicals, found at levels ranging from 240 to 3400 times the levels permitted by safety standards,” Cartwright’s office said. “These exposures likely increased the risk of cancers, such as renal cancer, multiple myeloma, leukemia and more. It also likely raised their risk of adverse birth outcomes, along with other negative health effects.”

Water from two treatment plants was contaminated by multiple sources, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry: “leaking underground storage tanks, industrial area spills, and waste disposal sites,” as well as waste from an off-base dry cleaning service.

Cartwright was joined by area veterans in Scranton last week to highlight the bill’s passage. Among them was Gerard McNamara, a Vietnam veteran and corporal who spent three months at Camp Lejeune in 1967 and “was later diagnosed with multiple ailments and cancers from the contaminated water,” Cartwright’s office said.

Related: Pocono veteran joins Cartwright as virtual guest for State of the Union

“The servicemembers who signed up to defend their country and the people who supported them at Camp Lejeune were let down in a big way by their government. This tragedy was a major failure on the part of the Department of Defense, and all those who suffered for it deserve justice,” Cartwright said.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act was included within the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which passed on Thursday, March 3 by a vote of 256-174. The bill had the support of all House Democrats and 34 Republicans, including Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and John Joyce from Pennsylvania. The Senate has not yet voted.

Kathryne Rubright is a reporter covering the environment, northeast Pa. politics, and local news. She is based at the Pocono Record. Reach her at [email protected].

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Dust Bunnies – Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound

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March brings the annual ritual of “spring cleaning.” It’s the time when you discover all those dust bunnies that have been hiding all winter long.

Dust bunnies sounds cute right? You can purchase dust bunny dolls and watch animated movies online. Dust bunnies don’t hop and are sometimes called dust mice, but they don’t bite. So, what exactly are dust bunnies?

The sun is shining through the window, and you see dust flying in the air and then it lands. Then we dust what we can see. But what about the dust particles we don’t see? Combine dust and other disgusting particles like hair, spider webs, dead skin, and dust mites with static electricity and “poof” – a dust bunny is born.

The American Lung Association identifies dust mites as one of the major indoor triggers for people with allergies and asthma. They’re naked to the eye but a single gram of dust can contain up to 19,000 mites and that’s just gross.

When homeowners call, we ask about dust levels in the home and if anyone suffers from allergies. Why? Because your indoor air quality is important to us and we know that maintaining the right humidity in your home minimizes the growth of dust mites.

As you gear up for spring cleaning make sure you pay special attention to the favorite hiding spots for dust bunnies like under and behind furniture, appliances and underneath your bed.

Don’t recycle dust bunnies. Get your ducts professionally cleaned. Give your AC system some “lovin.” Our inspection and tune-up comes with a no breakdown guarantee to make sure your family stays comfortable through the long haul of the Texas heat.

Contact us at forcehomeservices.com. It would be our pleasure to serve you.

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Germany’s first CO2 separation plant for cement production | News

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Scheduled to go into operation by the end of June 2022, the plant will capture two tonnes of CO2 per day before being utilised in the regional chemical industry. 

The foundations for the plant – which is being built in cooperation with the Andritz Group – are already in place on the southern side of the Rohrdorfer cement works. 

The company plans for a 25m high pilot plant for CO2 separation to be built within an area of around 30m2. 

To further decarbonise a typically hard-to-abate sector (cement production accounts for 8% of all CO2 emissions per year), Rohrdorfer plan to build a second separation plant on-site. 

The utilisation aspect of the project will involve the captured gas being used to produce formic acid, as essential chemical found in disinfecting and cleaning products and de-icing agents. 

Following tests at its pilot plant, the company found that around 1800 litres of formic acid can be produced from the two tonnes of CO2 captured each day. 

Commenting on the project, Dr. Helmut Leibinger, Head of Plant and Process Engineering, Rohrdorfer, said, “We have to start seeing CO2 as a resource instead of a problem.” 

“The carbon in the CO2 can become methanol, ethylene or formic acid and thus the starting material for many products that still have to be manufactured from petroleum today.” 

“With CO2 as a carbon source, Germany can protect the climate

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Using Nanotechnology to Improve Indoor Air Quality

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Emerging research on the use of nanotechnology for increasing indoor air quality (IAQ) has included developments in the removal of indoor air pollutants and volatile organic compounds. This research has been published in the journal, Materials Science and Engineering: B.

Study: Fabrication and characterization of multifunctional nanoclay and TiO2 embedded polyamide electrospun nanofibers and their applications at indoor air filtration. Image Credit: Kira_Yan/Shutterstock.com

Significance of Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air pollution is one of the top five environmental issues that have been ranked by studies undertaken by the science advisory board within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States.

This type of pollution is a result of burning solid fuel sources, which can consist of firewood, crop waste, or dung for applications such as providing heat and cooking.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has regarded IAQ to be the world’s largest environmental risk as a singular factor, with this type of pollution being responsible for 4.1% of global deaths.

The common pollutants that contribute to IAQ consist of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds (VOC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), radon, cigarette smoke, toxic fumes from consumer products and more. These pollutants have been associated with a premature incidence of death as well as resulting in global mortality, especially within low-income countries.

VOCs can be particularly hazardous as these compounds have a boiling point lower than 250 degrees Celsius as well as high vapor pressure, resulting in evaporation at room temperature. Subsequently, when VOCs are present within indoor air, they can cause health issues, from headaches to neck pain and allergic skin reactions.

Additionally, these side effects can be worse when occupants have an existing health condition such as allergies or asthma, which may make these symptoms worse.

Removing VOCs

Removing volatile organic compounds from indoor air has become a critical focal point for researchers due to the high risk these pollutants can have on health.

Technologies like thermal and catalytic oxidation and other processes such as adsorption and filtration have been focused on to aid VOC removal.

Previous research has included the use of photocatalytic oxidation to remove VOCs from indoor air through the use of semiconductor catalysts and ultraviolet light which would aim to convert VOCs from their hazardous state to products such as water and carbon dioxide.

The researchers of this environmentally and health-conscious study have utilized the process of adsorption for the removal of VOCs, with previous studies using adsorption with activated carbon as a common method for addressing these hazardous compounds.

Novel Indoor Air Filtration

The team created multifunctional polyamide-6 (PA-6) electrospun nanofibers for the purpose of filtering indoor air; they utilized nanoclay (NC) as a nanoadsorbent as well as titanium oxide as a nanocatalyst for facilitating the photocatalytic oxidation of toluene.

The use of titanium oxide within nanoparticles has been previously shown to have high photocatalytic activity for toluene as well as being an effective oxidant for VOC decomposition.

Additionally, with electrospun nanofibers gaining popularity in applications such as indoor air filters, their natural inclusion in this research has been apt.

These nanofibers have unique characteristics such as high porosity, as well as having a high surface area to volume ratio, flexibility and modifiable pore size, which have further increased their benefit for use within this study.

The use of polyamide-6 is also quite considered as this polymer has the potential for being an air filter material; its biodegradable nature is also a benefit and with universal use, this research is sustainable in many aspects.

The material also has high mechanical properties such as high tensile strength and chemical stability as well as resistance, which would be helpful when in contact with various pollutants.

The aim of creating these innovative PA-6 electrospun air filters with nanotechnology incorporation would enable the removal of pollutants and increase indoor air quality. Additionally, the PA-6 nanoclay composite electrospun nanofibers are low-cost and allow for long-term use which enables this approach to be more sustainable and advanced when addressing indoor air quality.

Oxidation of toluene with low intensity of UV light can also be enabled, as well as a short reaction time; this would be significant for ensuring air purification is enhanced and stable over a long period of time.

Future Outlook

Having low-energy requirements, long-term use, self-cleaning technology and being low-cost has enabled this innovative research to advance the field of indoor air filtration to ensure the presence of pollutants, and their subsequent health effects, are decreased.

This research has the potential to be used globally, which would be especially significant with the increase in pollution and chemical waste from industrial companies.

Additionally, this technology could be used to ensure factory workers are not susceptible to reduced health when working around pollutants, which is a major concern in both low- and high-income countries.

To this end, the potential of this technology can be seen as promising for all industries to aid with reducing health risks and preventing environmental pollutants from leading to mortality rates.

Reference

Aydin-Aytekin, D., Gezmis-Yavuz, E., Buyukada-Kesici, E., Elif Cansoy, C., Alp, K. and Koseoglu-Imer, D., (2022) Fabrication and characterization of multifunctional nanoclay and TiO2 embedded polyamide electrospun nanofibers and their applications at indoor air filtration. Materials Science and Engineering: B, 279, p.115675. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921510722000721

Further Reading

Ritchie, H. and Roser, M., (2022) Indoor Air Pollution. [online] Our World in Data. Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/indoor-air-pollution.

Indoor Science, (2022) % – Indoor Science. [online] Available at: https://indoorscience.com/blog/the-importance-of-indoor-air-quality/

Tran, V., Park, D. and Lee, Y., (2020) Indoor Air Pollution, Related Human Diseases, and Recent Trends in the Control and Improvement of Indoor Air Quality. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8), p.2927. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082927​​​​​​

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.

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