All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

They’re Called Containerboard Plants & They Stink – by Erin Brockovich and Suzanne Boothby – The Brockovich Report

“It was so strong,” says Courtney Beltz of Rock Hill, South Carolina, talking about when the stench first hit her town earlier this year. “The smell would wake us up in the middle of the night, even with the windows and doors closed. The smell of rotten eggs would permeate our home. Some people thought they had a gas leak. I first thought, ‘Did my cat have an accident? Did someone not flush a toilet?’”

For weeks, she and many other locals tried to figure out the cause of the mysterious stench.

The source turned out to be the paper mill. The New-Indy Containerboard paper mill in Catawba, South Carolina, to be exact. The company is owned by The Kraft Group and Schwartz Partners.

The hydrogen sulfate (H2S) emissions from the plant spread a foul odor into several counties at the border of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Catawba Indian Nation, causing physical harm to residents who have reported health issues such as headaches, coughs, burning eyes, and nausea.

Source: They’re Called Containerboard Plants & They Stink – by Erin Brockovich and Suzanne Boothby – The Brockovich Report

​Just 5 Percent of Electric Plants Responsible for 73 percent of Power Sector Emissions – Yale E360

The highest-emitting power plant is in Rogowiec, Poland, a facility that produces 20 percent of the nation’s electricity but spewed 38 million tons of CO2 in 2018. Six of the 10 highest-emitting plants are in China and East Asia; two are in India; and two in Europe, including the Rogowiec facility.

Researchers calculated how much “super polluters” could reduce emissions by boosting their efficiency, switching to lower-carbon fuels, or adding carbon-capture technology. The found that boosting efficiency at hyper-polluting power plants would cut total global power sector emissions by 25 percent. Switching from coal to oil or gas would lower emissions by around 30 percent, while installing carbon capture technology would slash emissions nearly in half. The findings have been accepted for publication in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Source: ​Just 5 Percent of Electric Plants Responsible for 73 percent of Power Sector Emissions – Yale E360

Opinion | Ben & Jerry’s Founders on the Company’s Israel Policy – The New York Times

In its statement, the company drew a contrast between the democratic territory of Israel and the territories Israel occupies. The decision to halt sales outside Israel’s democratic borders is not a boycott of Israel. The Ben & Jerry’s statement did not endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. The company’s stated decision to more fully align its operations with its values is not a rejection of Israel. It is a rejection of Israeli policy, which perpetuates an illegal occupation that is a barrier to peace and violates the basic human rights of the Palestinian people who live under the occupation. As Jewish supporters of the State of Israel, we fundamentally reject the notion that it is anti-Semitic to question the policies of the State of Israel.

‘It could be lost forever’: Community working on economic strategy to save Vancouver’s Chinatown – BC | Globalnews.ca

“We will find ways to get people to come back”: the community is forging ahead to try and make visitors feel safe again in Vancouver’s battered Chinatown.

Source: ‘It could be lost forever’: Community working on economic strategy to save Vancouver’s Chinatown – BC | Globalnews.ca

Puerto Rico orders government workers to get vaccinated – The Washington Post

Puerto Rico’s governor announced Wednesday that all public employees must be vaccinated against the coronavirus starting next month as the U.S. territory reports a new rise in cases.

The executive order goes into effect Aug. 16 with few exceptions. Those who refuse to get inoculated will be required to submit a negative virus test weekly. If an employee refuses to get tested, they will be forced to use their vacation days and eventually may not be paid, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said.

“To finish defeating the pandemic, this is the step to follow,” he said. “Vaccination is the solution.”

Source: Puerto Rico orders government workers to get vaccinated – The Washington Post

White House instructs agencies to mandate masks indoors in DC | TheHill

The White House has instructed federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and other areas where there is a high degree of community transmission of the coronavirus to require employees, contractors and visitors to wear masks indoors regardless of their vaccination status.

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) sent a memo to agencies Tuesday evening with the new instructions after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its mask guidance saying fully vaccinated Americans should wear face coverings indoors in areas of the country where there is “substantial” or “high” transmission.

Those who are not vaccinated have previously been told to wear masks.

Source: White House instructs agencies to mandate masks indoors in DC | TheHill

3 Misconceptions about Kindness. — Exhortations With Shazzy

Taken from the Oxford dictionary, kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. As a little girl, I used to be kind to almost everyone around me. However, most of my friends viewed my kindness as a sign of weakness. Some of them took advantage of that. And sometimes, I felt terrible about […]

3 Misconceptions about Kindness. — Exhortations With Shazzy

The Rise of the American Left and Nina Turner: What Her Win Would Mean

Filosofa's Word

Today I would like to share another post by our new blogging friend Quentin over at WeTheCommoners. Quentin talks a bit about some of the up-and-coming new faces in the Democratic Party, or the ‘Left’, and then he posits that the new blood in the party needs to stand firm, that they aren’t being forceful enough and have been afraid to utilize their power. Now, up to this point, I fully agree with him … the Democratic Party as a whole needs to be more forceful, not allow the ‘other side’ to walk all over them as they are so often doing these days. But he takes it a step further and there is a point where I’m not quite 100% in agreement with him. However, I want you to read this post with an open mind, for he makes many excellent points that should be given thought, so I…

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