 Sustainability |
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Oil prices rise — then fall — amid Israel-Hamas war | Global oil prices dropped on Wednesday, after soaring on Tuesday in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. |
© Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP |
Experts attributed the decline to top oil producer Saudi Arabia's pledge on Tuesday to help stabilize the market — which in turn assuaged fears of disruptions, according to Reuters. Saudi and Russian officials met in Moscow on Wednesday, at which time Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies would coordinate efforts "for the predictability of the oil market," Reuters reported. While not part of OPEC, Russia is part of the OPEC+ group, which includes 10 oil-producing countries beyond the 13 OPEC members. Saudi Arabia had also said on Tuesday that it was working with its regional and international partners to prevent a rise in oil prices, Reuters reported. With what appeared to be Putin's reassurances, however, also came a warning. At the meeting in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin also said that existing cuts to oil supplies would "most likely" continue despite ongoing concerns, according to The Guardian. Such a move would provide what The Guardian described as an economic windfall for Russia, which has experienced a decline in gas sales to Europe following its invasion of Ukraine last year. Asked if current oil supply cuts would be extended at Wednesday's Russian Energy Week conference, Putin said that his country's decisions "are made by consensus," The Telegraph reported. "Today it looks like we will continue our cooperation," he said. By Wednesday afternoon, Brent Crude Oil — a European benchmark used for global market purchases — was sitting at $86.33, or a 1.51 percent drop since the previous day, according to MarketWatch. Brent's lowest point in the day occurred in the late morning eastern time, when the benchmark plunged 2.67 percent from the previous day to about $85.31. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) — a futures contract traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange — was at about $84, or a 1.96 percent drop from the day before. Both Brent and WTI had skyrocketed by more than $3.50 on Monday, amid concerns that the war between Israel and Hamas could have knock-on effects on global oil supplies, Reuters reported. |
Welcome to The Hill's Sustainability newsletter, I'm Sharon Udasin — every week we follow the latest moves in the growing battle over sustainability in the U.S. and around the world. |
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Latest news impacting sustainability this week and beyond: |
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As climate change bakes the U.S. West and dries up key Colorado River reservoirs, a slew of invasive species is flourishing in warmer waters at the expense of the artery's native inhabitants. Among the most disruptive of this wide range of invaders is the smallmouth bass, which scientists fear could pose a possible danger to the native ecology of the Grand Canyon region should the fish continue making their way downstream. … |
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed off on a pair of rules that will require large corporations that do business in the Golden State to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risk. The two bills, which were among a laundry list of legislation approved this weekend, are the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, or SB-253, and the Climate-Related Financial Risk bill, or SB-261. SB-253 will require … |
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Birdwing butterflies are among the rarest and largest to grace the planet, their 10-inch (25.4-centimeter) wingspans flapping through the rainforests of Southeast Asia and Australia. |
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ExxonMobil is buying Pioneer Natural Resources, resulting in a $59.5 billion all-stock transaction and boosting its fracking capabilities. |
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Two herbicides may harm adolescent brain function |
Two of the most popular herbicides may be associated with negative neurobehavioral effects in adolescents, a new study has found. A pervasive problem: Scientists made these determinations for both glyphosate and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) — herbicides used for a variety of agricultural and ornamental purposes. - They published their findings on Wednesday in Environmental Health Perspectives.
- Following the introduction of glyphosate-resistant crops in 1996 and 2,4-D-resistant crops in 2014, these two herbicides became among the most common around the world.
Neurotoxins and mental health: "Many chronic diseases and mental health disorders in adolescents and young adults have increased over the last two decades worldwide," senior author Jose Ricardo Suarez, of the University of California San Diego's Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, said in a statement. "Exposure to neurotoxic contaminants in the environment could explain a part of this increase," Suarez added. Connecting exposure to behavior: To investigate this hypothesis, Suarez and his colleagues measured the metabolite concentrations — intermediate products of reactions catalyzed by certain enzymes — of glyphosate, 2,4-D and DEET in human urine samples. - The samples came from 519 adolescents, aged 11 to 17, living in the agricultural county of Pedro Moncayo, Ecuador, in 2016.
- The researchers assessed neurobehavioral performance in five areas: attention and inhibitory control, memory and learning, language, visuospatial processing and social perception.
Different compounds, different effects: The scientists found glyphosate, which is used in crops like corn and soy and for vegetation control in residential settings, in the urine of 98 percent of participants. - Glyphosate levels in urine were linked to lower scores in social perception only.
- 2,4-D — used on lawns, aquatic sites and agricultural crops — was present in 66 percent of participants.
- Higher amounts of 2,4-D were associated with lower neurobehavioral performance in attention and inhibitory control, memory, learning and language.
- DEET metabolites were not connected to neurobehavioral performance.
Widespread reach, impacts unknown: "There is considerable use of herbicides and insecticides in agricultural industries in both developed and developing nations around the world," first author Briana Chronister, a UC San Diego doctoral candidate, said in a statement. This spread is "raising exposure potential for children and adults, especially if they live in agricultural areas, but we don't know how it impacts each stage of life," Chronister added. Tracking lifelong exposures: The study occurred under the umbrella of ESPINA: The Study of Secondary Exposures to Pesticides Among Children and Adolescents, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. ESPINA, the scientists noted, seeks to investigate the impacts of pesticide exposures on the development of humans from childhood through adulthood. Mysteries on the market: "Hundreds of new chemicals are released into the market each year, and more than 80,000 chemicals are registered for use today," Suarez said. "Sadly, very little is known about the safety and long-term effects on humans for most of these chemicals," he added. |
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- A major storm system that has drenched the Northwest over the past couple days is expected to bring a dramatic plunge in temperatures across the Rocky Mountains later this week — possibly bringing snow to higher elevation locations, AccuWeather reported. Rain could change to snow in parts of Wyoming and northern Colorado by Wednesday night, mixing with rain as the storm gains strength in the Central Plains on Thursday, according to AccuWeather.
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Branch out with different reads from The Hill: |
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Many protestors concerned about climate change stormed the stage where U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was being interviewed Thursday in Baltimore. |
Despite efforts to shift toward low-carbon energy, global emissions from energy use will increase through 2050, according to a new analysis. |
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Local and state headlines on sustainability issues: |
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Sustainability news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Manhattan Finally Gets a Public Beach. One Catch: No Swimming. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Google introduces new sustainability features, including a tool for people looking to buy an EV (TechCrunch)
- Why Indigenous youth are gathering in Oslo to fight a green energy project (Grist)
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More stories on The Hill right now: |
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If you're hitting the drive-thru, you probably want your food fast, right? Read more |
| Whether it's an airport self-checkout machine or a $14 beer at a concert, the controversial "tip screen" often looms — but are most Americans actually tipping at the suggested percentages, usually 20% and up? Read more |
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Opinions related to sustainability submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you next week! |
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