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Today we are examining the environmental consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the United Nations plastics treaty. Joe Manchin
Joe ManchinPhotos – President Biden’s first State of the Union Reynolds Response slams Biden for his ‘weakness at the world stage’ Manchin slams Biden’s attempt revive Build Back BetterSupporting climate provisions for Build Back Betters by suggesting a lifeline
Rachel Frazin was the editor of The Hill. Zack Budryk was the vice-president. Send us tips: [email protected] [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter: @RachelFrazin @BudrykZack.
Lets jump in.
Russia invades environment and holds it hostage
Russia is targeting a variety of sites in Ukraine’s invasion that could cause environmental disasters short-term as well as long-term if they are damaged or destroyed.
Russian forces began an invasion in Ukraine on Thursday. They targeted an oil refinery close to Kyiv, causing its closure and destroying its fuel supply. Ukraine also intercepted a missile that was meant to target the Kyiv reservoir, which could have caused severe flooding in Kiev.
Kyiv is divided along the Dnipro River, which runs 1,400 miles and also cuts most of the country.
A dam breach would result in a flood in Kyiv, causing a humanitarian crisis.
What more? Russia has also attacked the Shebel oil refining plant outside of Kyiv. The attack caused a fire estimated by UVJI to have caused billions of dollars of environmental damage. The Shebel refinery was one of only two oil refineries in the country, and it was the country’s second-largest gasoline and diesel producer until Saturday when officials closed it down.
It will continue to burn for a long period of time. Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to Ukraines Ministry of Internal Affairs said Sunday that the environmental damage would be immense.
Ukrainian officials reported that Russian forces destroyed a natural gas pipeline in Kharkiv. This is the second-largest city in Ukraine. However, the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine stated that no disruption to service was detected.
A representative of UVJI stated that the invasion poses a huge environmental threat because of the large number of strategic objects we have. We are a large industrial nation, so there are many of these… risk areas.
Learn more about the environment risks here.
Countriespledgeto plastics deal
On Wednesday, 175 countries’ heads of state and ministers of the environment endorsed a resolution to create a legally binding pact that will address the global problem of plastic pollution.
The End Plastic Pollution resolution was signed by world leaders at the United Nations Environment Assembly (5 UNEE-5) in Nairobi. They pledged to address all aspects of plastic’s life cycle, including design, production, and disposal, in an agreement by 2024. According to the resolution, the treaty would include alternatives like the design of reusable or recyclable materials and increase accessibility to needed technologies through international collaboration.
The UN Environment Assembly displays multilateral cooperation against the backdrop of geopolitical turmoil, Espen Barth Eide (president of UNEA-5, and Norway’s minister for climate, said in a statement. Plastic pollution has become an epidemic. We are now officially on the right track to finding a solution with today’s resolution.
The resolution is based upon three initial drafts and establishes an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee. This committee will start work this year on the text of the legally binding agreements. The United Nations Environment Program, (UNEP), stated that it will hold a forum open for all stakeholders with the INC by 2022 in order to share best practices.
Inger Andersen from UNEP, executive director, stated in a statement that today is a victory for planet earth over single-use disposable plastics. This is the most important multilateral environmental agreement since the Paris accord. It is an insurance policy for the future generation, so that they can live with plastic and not be doomed.
You can read more about Sharon Usadin from The Hills here.
GET ON THE LIST
Stay on top of the news cycleWithThe Hills new Evening ReportThe latest stories of the day and a glimpse into tomorrow are featured in this section.
Manchin proposes a scaled-downBBB
Sen. Joe Manchin(D-W.Va.), who torpedoed President Biden
Joe BidenBiden State of the Union – A plea for unity during unusual times Watch: Key moments of Biden’s first State of the Union speech Five takeaways from Biden’s State of the Union speech MOREOn Wednesday, the Build Back Better agenda from the end of last years was presented in a drastically reduced version that he said he could vote for during the special budget reconciliation process.
Manchin indicated that he would support a reconciliation package which reforms the tax code, lowers the cost for prescription drugs, and splits the money between spending on climate change proposals and fighting inflation.
The West Virginia senator clarified that while he hasn’t made any formal counterproposals, he is sketching out the outline of a proposal that he would support with the rest.
He suggested that spending on a variety of initiatives to combat climate change would likely unify his Democratic counterparts.
He said that half of the money should be used to fight inflation and reduce the deficit. The remaining half can be used for a 10-year plan. You can choose what priority you feel is most important. At the moment, the environment seems to be the highest priority. This program would be quite costly.
He insists that he is not in any formal talks for the White House.
He said, “Everybody knows pretty much where you are.” This is not new. This is not something new. It has been my mantra for the past year.
Continue reading from The Hills Alexander Bolton.
QUOTES OF NOTICE, SOTU EDITION
Key E&E quotations from President Biden’s inaugural State of the Union address.
The VA is a pioneer in linking toxic exposures and diseases. This has already helped more veterans receive benefits.Biden made the comment following an announcement by Department of Veterans Affairs about expanding disability compensation to nine cancers due to toxic chemical exposure.
Continue reading from The Hills Jordan Williams.
Lets make it possible for you to invest in your homes and businesses and get tax credits. This will double Americas clean energy production. It will also lower the price of electric cars, which will allow you to save $80 per month.Biden stated that he framed the push for climate benefits in his stalled agenda as reducing costs for consumers and fighting inflation.
You can read more about it here.
America will lead this effort by releasing 30,000,000 barrels from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We are ready to do even more together with our allies if neededBiden stated that the U.S. had released 60 million barrels of oil from its oil reserves after it joined other nations..
WHAT WE’RE READING
- The majority of Americans agree that climate change has to be addressed, but they have different opinions about what to do.NBC News)
- Peabody, the coal giant, announces a joint venture that focuses on solar power and energy storage.St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Whistleblowers Disclose EPA Officials who Downplayed HazardsThe Intercept)
- Crop insurance gets to grips about climate changeE&E News)
- Hong Kong’s strict COVID restrictions hampered its green finance ambitions.Reuters)
ICYMI
Finally, here’s something a little offbeat, but still on-beat: Fashion statements
This is it for today. Thanks for reading. Check out The HillsEnergy & Environment PageFor the most recent news and coverage. We hope to see you on Thursday.
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