The last straw: bottle caps?
Plastic straws are getting all the press lately, but did you know there’s bigger, badder pollutants out there? Fishing equipment, bottle caps, and cigarette butts are a huge part of the problem, too.
Read the full list at Bustle.
What this means for you -- it cannot be said enough: Watch your waste. As you move through your day-to-day life, be mindful of what you use and throw away. If we all do what we can — using reusable plastics, lobbying Congress for environmental protections, or volunteering at a beach cleanup — we can save the planet together.
We all knew this, but come on
The fossil fuel industry spent nearly $2 billion to kill U.S. climate action, a new study found.
In fact, the industry has out-lobbied environmentalists 10-to-1 on climate since 2000.
Read the whole study here.
What this means for you: Ugh. New IRS rules will no longer force groups to disclose donors. That means major anti-climate groups, like Americans for Prosperity, will not have to report that it is heavily backed by the Koch brothers, who are billionaire fossil fuel barons.The bottom line is that one major reason for the lack of action on climate change is that, for nearly two decades, the opponents of serious action have been vastly outspending the proponents.
GE loses power
The rise of renewables and sliding demand for gas turbines hit General Electric’s earnings in the second quarter, underlining the difficulties the company faces in one of its remaining core businesses.
GE expects to sell only about 50 heavy-duty gas turbines for generating electricity this year, down from 107 last year. The market is being squeezed by competition from wind and solar power, for which costs have plunged in recent years.
Read more on CNN Money.
What this means for you: With renewables one of the main flailing parts of the GE machine, they’ll no doubt focus more energy there. Expect competitors to respond in kind, driving down prices and ultimately making the tech more affordable and adoptable. Follow the winds of change.
