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Tag: Environment

  • Pennsylvania plastics company settles ‘nurdles’ pollution case for $2.6 million

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    A Pennsylvania plastics manufacturer will pay $2.6 million for allegedly violating the federal Clean Water Act and will ensure that no more of its plastic pellets leak into waterways, under a proposed settlement with two environmental groups.

    • This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.

    PennEnvironment and Three Rivers Waterkeeper sued Styropek USA, claiming the company discharged large quantities of “nurdles”—tiny pellets used to produce a wide variety of plastic products—into a western Pennsylvania creek, polluting the water and leaving the pellets on creek-side vegetation. Testing by state officials also found that the plastic pollution had increased due to stormwater runoff from the site.

    Environmentalists called the agreement, announced Thursday, a landmark that will set a precedent for other plastics manufacturers in Pennsylvania and around the country. It comes amid growing evidence that plastics in general, and nurdles specifically, represent a threat to human health and natural systems.

    “It’s a precedent-setting settlement in many ways,” said David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, in an interview. “It has one of the largest Clean Water Act citizen-suit penalties in Pennsylvania history but even more important, it includes requirements that should get the facility to move to zero discharge of pellets.”

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    The plaintiffs were joined in recent weeks by Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection, which intervened in the case, saying the company violated two state laws in addition to the federal statute.

    “Pennsylvanians have a right to a clean and safe environment,” DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said in a statement. “This consent decree holds Styropek accountable for its violations and ensures they act to stop further unlawful discharges while supporting the cleanup of a treasured creek in Beaver County.”

    The company said it welcomed the settlement, which resolves a related notice of violation from the DEP, and added that it is committed to environmental quality. “Styropek is pleased that the parties have reached an agreement that will contribute positively to the Beaver County community,” it said in a statement.

    The agreement requires Styropek, which uses nurdles to make polystyrene foam, to install the latest monitoring technology to track whether the pellets leak from its Monaca property. The settlement imposes an automatic penalty if even a single pellet is found outside its plant. The company is also required to redesign its stormwater system so that it captures all pellet waste rather than spreading it into waterways.

    For now, because the company idled the plant in March, the settlement applies to flows of stormwater from its 400-acre site. If the plant restarts production or is sold, the requirements would also apply to production.

    Steve Miano, an environmental lawyer at Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller in Philadelphia, who wasn’t involved in the case, said it’s not clear whether the settlement will set a national precedent as the plaintiffs believe, because other plastics cases are pending.

    But he called the consent decree “very comprehensive” and said it “could very well” be used as a template for similar cases. “It remains to be seen if the technologies employed … will sufficiently remove the plastics from the discharges,” he wrote in an email. “The [consent decree] seems to require alternative plans if the initial technology is not effective.”

    The required use of monitoring technology aims to prevent future nurdle releases because the pellets are virtually impossible to clean up, said Heather Hulton VanTassel, executive director of Three Rivers Waterkeeper.

    “The widespread installation of these technologies is the next step to preventing future plastic pollution and protecting our source drinking water,” she said.

    The pellets often look like food to many aquatic animals and birds, which eat them. They remain in the stomachs of wildlife, leading to malnutrition and starvation, and sometimes death, Masur said. As they break down and become microplastics, they serve as magnets for harmful chemicals, including carcinogens, neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors, which become more concentrated and toxic as they move up the food chain, with devastating impacts on wildlife and, potentially, human health.

    Styropek was chosen for the suit, filed in December 2023, because it had a track record of Clean Water Act violations, Masur said. That’s in contrast to the nearby ethane-cracker plant operated by Shell, although that plant has had a long series of air-quality violations since it opened in 2022.

    VanTassel said her group and the Mountain Watershed Association have been watching for nurdle discharges from the Shell plant for the last several years but have not found significant quantities of the pellets from that source. The groups found large nurdle discharges that were traced to Styropek, and that data was used in the suit.

    She predicted the settlement will set a national precedent because it’s the first citizen action on plastic pellets to be based on Clean Water Act violations of an inland waterway, and because this is the first time in a citizen lawsuit over nurdles that a state regulator intervened in support of plaintiffs’ claims.

    “Our regulators have decided that our agreement to deal with plastic-pellet pollution at the zero-tolerance level is the appropriate way to regulate plastics,” she said.

    The agreement is expected to be approved by the federal court for Western Pennsylvania, given that all parties have agreed to it and the judge had been pushing to finalize it, Masur said.

    Of the fine, $2 million will support a fund to investigate and clean up pellet pollution in the water, sediment and banks of Raccoon Creek, where the company operates. A further $500,000 will create a fund to support efforts to protect water quality in the creek and nearby areas of the Ohio River watershed. The company agreed to pay another $100,000 in civil penalties to a clean water fund operated by the state.

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    Jon Hurdle, Inside Climate News

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  • Pope Leo XIV feeds fish as he opens Vatican’s ambitious model of sustainable farming and education

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    Pope Leo XIV fed fish, petted horses and visited organic vineyards Friday as he inaugurated the Vatican’s ambitious project to turn Pope Francis’ preaching about caring for the environment into practice.Leo formally opened Borgo Laudato Si, a 55-acre utopian experiment in sustainable farming, vocational training and environmental education located on the grounds of the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. The Vatican hopes the center, open to student groups, CEOs and others, will be a model of ecological stewardship, education and spirituality for the Catholic Church and beyond.Leo travelled by helicopter to Castel Gandolfo and then zoomed around the estate’s cypress-lined gardens in an electric golf cart to reach the center, which is named for Francis’ landmark 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si,” or Praised Be. The document, which inspired an entire church movement, cast care for the planet as an urgent and existential moral concern that was inherently tied to questions of human dignity and justice, especially for the poor.Leo has strongly reaffirmed Francis’ focus on the need to care for God’s creation, and celebrated the first “green” Mass in the estate’s gardens earlier this summer, using a new set of prayers inspired by the encyclical that specifically invoke prayers for creation. On Friday, some 10 years after Laudato Si was published, Leo presided over a liturgy to bless the new center after touring its gardens, fishpond, farm, and classrooms.Leo recalled that according to the Bible, human beings have a special place in the act of creation, created in the “image and likeness of God.”“But this privilege comes with a great responsibility: that of caring for all other creatures, in accordance with the creator’s plan,” he said. “Care for creation, therefore, represents a true vocation for every human being, a commitment to be carried out within creation itself, without ever forgetting that we are creatures among creatures, and not creators.”A greenhouse inspired by St. Peter’s SquareLeo spoke from the heart of the project: a huge greenhouse in the same curved, embracing shape as the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square that faces a 10-room educational facility and dining hall. Once it’s up and running, visiting groups can come for an afternoon school trip to learn about organic farming, or a weekslong course on regenerative agriculture.The center aims to accomplish many of the goals of the environmental cause. Solar panels provide all the power the facility needs, plastics are banned, and recycling and composting systems used to reach zero-waste. Officials say water will be conserved and maximized via “smart irrigation” systems that use artificial intelligence to determine plants’ needs, along with rainwater harvesting and the installation of wastewater treatment and reuse systems.There is a social component as well. The Vatican’s first-ever vocational school on the grounds will aim to provide on-site training in sustainable gardening, organic winemaking, and olive harvesting to offer new job opportunities for particularly vulnerable groups: victims of domestic violence, refugees, recovering addicts, and rehabilitated prisoners.The products made will be sold on-site, with profits reinvested in the educational center: Laudato Si wine, organic olive oil, herbal teas from the farm’s aromatic garden, and cheese made from its 60 dairy cows, continuing a tradition of agricultural production that for centuries has subsidized monasteries and convents.While school groups are a core target audience, organizers also want to invite CEOs and professionals for executive education seminars, to sensitize the world of business to the need for sustainable economic growth.Officials declined to discuss the financing of the project, other than to say an undisclosed number of partners had invested in it and that confidential business plans precluded the Vatican from releasing further information.

    Pope Leo XIV fed fish, petted horses and visited organic vineyards Friday as he inaugurated the Vatican’s ambitious project to turn Pope Francis’ preaching about caring for the environment into practice.

    Leo formally opened Borgo Laudato Si, a 55-acre utopian experiment in sustainable farming, vocational training and environmental education located on the grounds of the papal summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. The Vatican hopes the center, open to student groups, CEOs and others, will be a model of ecological stewardship, education and spirituality for the Catholic Church and beyond.

    Leo travelled by helicopter to Castel Gandolfo and then zoomed around the estate’s cypress-lined gardens in an electric golf cart to reach the center, which is named for Francis’ landmark 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si,” or Praised Be. The document, which inspired an entire church movement, cast care for the planet as an urgent and existential moral concern that was inherently tied to questions of human dignity and justice, especially for the poor.

    Leo has strongly reaffirmed Francis’ focus on the need to care for God’s creation, and celebrated the first “green” Mass in the estate’s gardens earlier this summer, using a new set of prayers inspired by the encyclical that specifically invoke prayers for creation. On Friday, some 10 years after Laudato Si was published, Leo presided over a liturgy to bless the new center after touring its gardens, fishpond, farm, and classrooms.

    Leo recalled that according to the Bible, human beings have a special place in the act of creation, created in the “image and likeness of God.”

    “But this privilege comes with a great responsibility: that of caring for all other creatures, in accordance with the creator’s plan,” he said. “Care for creation, therefore, represents a true vocation for every human being, a commitment to be carried out within creation itself, without ever forgetting that we are creatures among creatures, and not creators.”

    FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

    Pope Leo XIV attends the inauguration of the “Borgo Laudato Si’” Advanced Training Center at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, on September 5, 2025. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / POOL / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

    A greenhouse inspired by St. Peter’s Square

    Leo spoke from the heart of the project: a huge greenhouse in the same curved, embracing shape as the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square that faces a 10-room educational facility and dining hall. Once it’s up and running, visiting groups can come for an afternoon school trip to learn about organic farming, or a weekslong course on regenerative agriculture.

    The center aims to accomplish many of the goals of the environmental cause. Solar panels provide all the power the facility needs, plastics are banned, and recycling and composting systems used to reach zero-waste. Officials say water will be conserved and maximized via “smart irrigation” systems that use artificial intelligence to determine plants’ needs, along with rainwater harvesting and the installation of wastewater treatment and reuse systems.

    Pope Leo XIV presides over a Liturgy of the Word after the inauguration of the "Borgo Laudato Si'" Advanced Training Center at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, on September 5, 2025. Borgo Laudato Si' is training in integral ecology and fraternity, an education that aims to be inclusive and accessible to all, with particular attention to those in vulnerable situations. From job training to educational programs, from immersive experiences in contact with nature to seminars and cultural events, Borgo Laudato Si' is committed to protecting and developing through investment in education, with a consistent commitment to promoting a culture of care. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

    FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

    Pope Leo XIV presides over a Liturgy of the Word after the inauguration of the “Borgo Laudato Si’” Advanced Training Center at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, on September 5, 2025. Borgo Laudato Si’ is training in integral ecology and fraternity, an education that aims to be inclusive and accessible to all, with particular attention to those in vulnerable situations. From job training to educational programs, from immersive experiences in contact with nature to seminars and cultural events, Borgo Laudato Si’ is committed to protecting and developing through investment in education, with a consistent commitment to promoting a culture of care. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

    There is a social component as well. The Vatican’s first-ever vocational school on the grounds will aim to provide on-site training in sustainable gardening, organic winemaking, and olive harvesting to offer new job opportunities for particularly vulnerable groups: victims of domestic violence, refugees, recovering addicts, and rehabilitated prisoners.

    The products made will be sold on-site, with profits reinvested in the educational center: Laudato Si wine, organic olive oil, herbal teas from the farm’s aromatic garden, and cheese made from its 60 dairy cows, continuing a tradition of agricultural production that for centuries has subsidized monasteries and convents.

    While school groups are a core target audience, organizers also want to invite CEOs and professionals for executive education seminars, to sensitize the world of business to the need for sustainable economic growth.

    Officials declined to discuss the financing of the project, other than to say an undisclosed number of partners had invested in it and that confidential business plans precluded the Vatican from releasing further information.

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  • ‘People Are So Proud of This’: How River and Lake Water Is Cooling Buildings

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    “In the old days, it was more like a luxury project,” says Deo de Klerk, team lead for heating and cooling solutions at the Dutch energy firm Eneco. Today, his company’s clients increasingly ask for district cooling as well as district heating systems. Eneco has 33 heating and cooling projects under construction. In Rotterdam, Netherlands, one of the company’s installations helps to cool buildings, including apartment blocks, police offices, a theater and restaurants, using water from the River Meuse.

    It’s not hard to see why cooling technologies are getting more popular. A few years ago, Nayral moved out of Paris. She remembers the heat waves. “My routine during the weekend was to go to the parks,” she says. Nayral would sit there well into the evening—reading Les Misérables, no less—waiting for her apartment to cool down. Recently, she has increasingly found herself spending time in shopping malls, where air-conditioning is plentiful, in order to make it through searing hot French summers. This year, unprecedented heat waves hit France and other countries in Europe.

    The city of Paris is now desperate to help its denizens find cool refuges during spells of extreme heat. A key component of Parisian climate adaptation plans is the river-supplied cooling network, the pipes for which currently cover a distance of 100 kilometers, though this is due to expand to 245 km by 2042. While around 800 buildings are served by the network today, those in charge aim to supply 3,000 buildings by that future date.

    Systems such as Paris’ do not pump river water around properties. Rather, a loop of pipework brings river water into facilities where it soaks up warmth from a separate, closed loop of water that connects to buildings. That heat transfer is possible thanks to devices called heat exchangers. When cooled water in the separate loop later arrives at buildings, more heat exchangers allow it to cool down fluid in pipes that feed air-conditioning devices in individual rooms. Essentially, heat from, say, a packed conference room or tourist-filled art gallery is gradually transferred—pipe by pipe—to a river or lake.

    The efficiency of Paris’ system varies throughout the year, but even at the height of summer, when the Seine is warm, the coefficient of performance (COP)—how many kilowatt-hours of cooling energy you get for every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed by the system—does not dip much below 4. In the winter, when offices, museums, and hospitals still require some air-conditioning, the COP can be as high as 15, much higher than conventional air-conditioning systems. “It is absolutely magnificent,” boasts Nayral.

    But those summer temperatures are increasingly a concern. This summer, the Seine briefly exceeded 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit), says Nayral. How can that cool anything? The answer is chiller devices, which help to provide additional cooling for the water that circulates around buildings. Instead of blowing out hot air, those devices can expel their heat into the Seine via the river loop. The opportunity to keep doing this is narrowing, though—because Fraîcheur de Paris is not allowed to return water to the Seine at temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, for environmental reasons. At present, that means the river can accommodate only a few additional degrees of heat on the hottest days. Future, stronger heat waves could evaporate more of that overhead.

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    Chris Baraniuk

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  • Lawmakers meet to discuss health of Merrimack River

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    NEWBURYPORT — Support for new projects addressing combined sewage overflows and updates on ongoing ones were discussed by dozens of local and state officials during Thursday’s meeting at the Newburyport Senior/Community Center.

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    By Matt Petry | mpetry@northofboston.com

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  • How N.C. professor finds bees that fight deadly mite

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — A pesky parasite is impacting bees, threatening colonies all over the world. 

    Bees keep our crops pollinated and now their keepers are looking for a way to stop this killer. Honey bees are a key contributor in the state’s largest industry.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Varroa destructor is threatening honey bee populations globally 

    • Research at UNC Greensboro aims to find bees that can fight off the mite

    • UBeeO is a spray that mimics the scent of a Varroa mite, helping researchers locate hygienic bees

    • Researchers are studying healthy bees’ microbiome, hoping to one day develop a food to improve their overall health


    “Part of our goal really is shoring up food security, crop production in North Carolina,” said Kaira Wagoner, a research scientist at UNC Greensboro.

    Wagoner and her team are keeping the buzz about bees going from the honeycomb to the fume hoods.

    Wagoner’s passion is protecting one of the planet’s most prolific pollinators. 

    Researchers have pinpointed the parasite responsible for decimating bee colonies across the country.

    The Varroa destructor, a small mite that’s living up to its name, is feeding on honey bees and amplifying deadly viruses, Wagoner said.

    “That’s really the No. 1 threat to honey bee health in the United States, and really globally, is this mite and the damage that it causes through spreading of those diseases,” she said.

    These sly creatures bury themselves in brood cells, the small hexagonal openings in the hive, where bee pupa are developing. 

    “She hides under that food and has a snorkel to breathe,” Wagoner said. “They cap over that cell so she can’t be detected as easily. Then the baby bee will eat up that food, releasing her from that brood food. She’ll come out and start feeding on the baby.”

    Wagoner said some bees have a way of stopping the spread. 

    “The honey bees that can smell very well, that are very sensitive, can then detect these Varroa mites, these problems, and throw them out of the colony, preventing the colony from dying,” Wagoner said.

    Wagoner developed a method to find these overly hygienic bees so they can be used for future breeding. 

    Her technology is called unhealthy brood odor or UBeeO. The pheromone-based spray mimics the scent of a Varroa mite. 

    Once it’s on the frame, it’s placed back in the beehive.

    Two hours later the same frame is removed, examined and photographed to document the progress.

    The tests we saw had mixed results. 

    The first frames were mostly untouched, and this hive didn’t uncap any cells.

    A second set of bees removed a few, even pulling out some of the pupa to prevent potential spread and look for mites.

    The final test we watched had near perfect results. 

    The bees checked every sprayed cell.

    Wagoner says colonies that can identify at least 60% of the sprayed cells have fewer mites, less bacteria and lower fungal loads. 

    High-scoring colonies are also found to have fewer viruses, all qualities that make them good candidates for selective breeding, a process intended to strengthen bees.

    Wagoner is exploring another discovery using NCInnovation funding from the state.

    She found hygienic honey bees have a different microbiota from less-hygienic bees. 

    Her team of researchers is now exploring that link. 

    “We have potential to develop a product out of this, finding that could actually improve honey bee health,” Wagoner said. “We’re starting to get into that in the last few years and we have a lot of exciting research ahead of us, thanks to NCInnovation.”

    Wagoner said beekeepers from all over the world are interested in her research and starting to use UBeeO for themselves to identify hygienic bees. 

    She hopes her technology can promote more intentional breeding that can help bees be more resistant to parasites and save farmers money by eliminating the need for expensive miticides.

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    Marshall Keely

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  • Wildfire smoke, ozone causes air quality alert for Front Range, Denver metro

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    Hot, dry weather and wildfire smoke from out-of-state fires will contribute to lower air quality across the Front Range and Denver metro through Friday afternoon, Colorado public health officials said.

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    Katie Langford

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  • Ohio city warns of invasive insect wiping out plants

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    OHIO — It’s an invasive insect that has previously caused quarantines and can wipe out foundational shrubs in its path.

    We’re talking about the box tree moth, and one Ohio city is warning residents to keep a lookout.

    What You Need To Know

    • The box tree moth was first detected in the state since 2023

    • They quickly defoliate boxwoods and will strip bark once they run out of leaves to eat

    • The city of Centerville recommended steps to take if residents find box tree moths

    The box tree moth was first detected in the state in 2023, and since then, its population has spread, especially in the southern part of the state. Earlier this year, there was a quarantine already in effect for some counties because of it.

    While the city of Centerville is warning its residents about them, these insects can be dangerous to the environment anywhere because, just as their namesake, they quickly defoliate boxwoods and will strip bark once they run out of leaves to eat, according to The Ohio State University.

    “It’s a tricky thing, because the boxwood has been a primary pillar of Midwest landscapes for decades now,” said Jotham Smith, horticulturist with Centerville Public Works and liaison for the Centerville City Beautiful Commission’s affiliation with Tree City USA. “Because everyone has them, pests and diseases can easily spread from one yard to the next.”

    There are two ways to identify the box tree moth:

    • As moths, they have two distinctive white dots on their front wings. Light-colored wings are more common than dark-colored wings.
    • As caterpillars, they have a distinctive green to greenish-yellow with black stripes and black dots on boxwoods.

    If you spot a box tree moth, the city of Centerville recommends these steps:

    1. “Do not make preventative insecticide applications to boxwoods. Only perform insecticide applications if a boxwood is identified to have a box tree caterpillar infestation or boxwoods in proximity have a confirmed infestation of the box tree caterpillar.
    2. Monitor your boxwoods as the box tree moth and caterpillar can appear anywhere. Be aware of what to look for.
    3. The Ohio State University Extension Office provides a list of over-the-counter caterpillar insecticides that can help treat infestations. You can download a list from the university’s website.
    4. You can also contact a private horticulture professional to evaluate your boxwood and provide possible treatment options.”

    Additionally, you can take a photo of the box tree moth and submit a report to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which tracks them.

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    Lydia Taylor

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  • Hungry Worms Could Help Solve Plastic Pollution

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    Plastics that support modern life are inexpensive, strong, and versatile, but are difficult to dispose of and have a serious impact when released into the environment. Polyethylene, in particular, is the most widely produced plastic in the world, with more than 100 million tons distributed annually. Since it can take decades to decompose—and along the way can harm wildlife and degrade into harmful microplastics—its disposal is an urgent issue for mankind.

    In 2017, European researchers discovered a potential solution. The larvae of wax moths, commonly known as wax worms, have the ability to break down polyethylene in their bodies. Wax worms have been considered a pest since ancient times because they parasitize beehives, feeding on beeswax. However, we now know that they also spontaneously feed on polyethylene, which has a chemically similar structure.

    “Around 2,000 wax worms can break down an entire polyethylene bag in as little as 24 hours, although we believe that co-supplementation with feeding stimulants like sugars can reduce the number of worms considerably,” said Dr Bryan Cassone, a professor of biology at Brandon University in Canada, in a news release. Cassone and his team have been researching how these insects could be harnessed to help combat plastic pollution. “Understanding the biological mechanisms and consequences on fitness associated with plastic biodegradation is key to using wax worms for large-scale plastic remediation,” he says.

    In previous experiments, Cassone and his team found out exactly how wax worms break down polyethylene. To understand their digestive mechanism, Cassone’s team fed polyethylene to wax worms for several days and followed the insects’ metabolic processes and changes in their gut environment. They found that as the wax worms ate the polyethylene, their feces liquefied and contained glycol as a byproduct.

    But when the insects’ intestinal bacteria were suppressed by administering antibiotics, the amount of glycol in their feces was greatly reduced. This revealed that the breaking down of polyethylene is dependent on the wax worms’ gut microbes.

    The team also isolated bacteria from the guts of wax worms and then cultured strains that could survive on polyethylene as their sole food source. Among them was a strain of Acinetobacter, which survived for more than a year in the laboratory environment and continued to break down polyethylene. This revealed how robust and persistent the wax worm’s gut flora is in its ability to break down plastics.

    Yet in reality, when it comes to consuming plastic, gut bacteria are not working alone. When the researchers conducted genetic analysis on the insects, they found that plastic-fed wax worms showed increased gene expression relating to fat metabolism, and after being fed plastic, the wax worms duly showed signs of having increased body fat. Armed with their plastic-digesting gut bacteria, the larvae can break down plastics and convert them into lipids, which they then store in their bodies.

    However, a plastic-only diet didn’t result in wax worms’ long-term survival. In their latest experiment, the team found that wax worms that continued to eat only polyethylene died within a few days and lost a great deal of weight. This showed that it is difficult for wax worms to continually process polyethylene waste. But researchers believe that creating a food source to assist their intake of polyethylene would mean wax worms are able to sustain healthy viability on a plastic diet and improve their decomposition efficiency.

    Looking ahead, the team suggests two strategies for using the wax worm’s ability to consume plastics. One is to mass produce wax worms that are fed on a polyethylene diet, while providing them with the nutritional support they need for long-term survival, and then integrating them into the circular economy, using the insects themselves to dispose of waste plastic. The other is to redesign the plastic degradation pathway of wax worms in the lab, using only microorganisms and enzymes, and so create a means of disposing of plastic that doesn’t need the actual insects.

    In the insect-rearing route, a byproduct would be large amounts of insect biomass—countless larvae that have been fed on plastic. These could potentially be turned into a highly nutritious feed for the aquaculture industry, as according to the research team’s data, the insects could be a good source of protein for commercial fish.

    This story originally appeared on WIRED Japan and has been translated from Japanese.

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    Ritsuko Kawai

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  • Today in History: Passenger pigeon goes extinct

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    Associated Press

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  • Your Body Ages Faster Because of Extreme Heat

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    It is well known that heat causes exhaustion in the body due to dehydration. But aging?

    A recent study concluded that extreme heat accelerates the aging of the human body, a worrying fact given the increasing frequency of heat waves due to climate change.

    The researchers are not talking about the effects of solar radiation on the skin, but biological aging. Unlike chronological age—that answer that you give when asked how old you are—your biological age reflects how well your cells, tissues, and organs are functioning. Biological age can be calculated by looking at physiological and molecular markers in the body as well as by using various tests, for instance by measuring lung function, cognitive ability, or bone density.

    Over time, the research found, exposure to extreme heat can weaken bodily systems, which shows up in tests of people’s blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood function. In the long term, this can increase the risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia. The research, which was published in the journal Nature Climate Change, found that the aging effect of extreme heat was comparable to other behaviors known to be harmful to the body, such as smoking or drinking alcohol.

    The researchers analyzed the long-term medical data of 24,922 people in Taiwan, collected between 2008 and 2022. During that time, the island experienced about 30 heat waves—defined by the research team as periods of high temperature lasting for several days. The researchers first calculated the biological age of the individuals, based on the results of various medical tests, such as liver, lung, and kidney function tests. They then compared people’s biological age with their chronological age, to see how fast their biological clock was ticking relative to their actual age. They then cross-referenced this information against people’s likely exposure to heat waves.

    The results showed that the more extreme heat events people experienced, the faster their biological age accelerated relative to their chronological age. On average, among the cohort of people studied, being exposed to two years’ worth of heat waves added between eight and 12 days to a person’s biological age.

    “While the number itself may seem small, over time and in different populations, this effect may have significant implications for public health,” said Cui Guo, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong and lead author of the study, in a statement from Nature.

    The study also found that people doing physical labor and those residing in rural areas were more likely to be affected by accelerated biological aging, presumably due to greater exposure to the effects of heat waves. However, an unexpected positive effect was observed as well: The impact of heat exposure on biological aging actually decreased over the 15 years analyzed. The reason behind this is unknown, though Guo points to the possible influence of cooling technologies such as air-conditioning, which have become more common in recent years.

    This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.

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    Javier Carbajal

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  • EPA fires employees who publicly criticized agency policies under Trump

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    WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday fired at least eight employees who signed a letter criticizing the agency’s leadership under Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Donald Trump.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Environmental Protection Agency has fired at least eight employees who signed a letter criticizing the agency’s leadership under Administrator Lee Zeldin and President Donald Trump

    • An EPA spokeswoman said the actions Friday followed a “thorough internal investigation” in which supervisors “made decisions on an individualized basis”

    • The spokeswoman, Molly Vaseliou, said the so-called declaration of dissent signed by more than 170 employees in late June “contains inaccurate information designed to mislead the public about agency business” 

    • The EPA’s largest union condemned the firings, calling them “an assault on labor and free-speech rights”

    “Following a thorough internal investigation, EPA supervisors made decisions on an individualized basis,” an EPA spokeswoman said Friday in a statement.

    The so-called declaration of dissent, signed by more than 170 employees in late June, “contains inaccurate information designed to mislead the public about agency business,” spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said. “Thankfully, this represents a small fraction of the thousands of hard-working, dedicated EPA employees who are not trying to mislead and scare the American public.”

    The EPA “has a zero-tolerance policy for career officials using their agency position and title to unlawfully undermine, sabotage and undercut the will of the American public that was clearly expressed at the ballot box last November,” she added.

    Vaseliou declined to say how many employees were disciplined, but the head of the agency’s largest union said at least six probationary employees who signed the letter were fired, along with at least two career employees. The firings were first reported by The Washington Post.

    The EPA union, part of the American Federation of Government Employees, condemned the firings, which come after 139 workers were put on administrative leave shortly after signing the dissent declaration. The EPA at the time accused employees of “unlawfully undermining” the Trump administration’s agenda.

    “The Trump administration and EPA’s retaliatory actions against these workers was clearly an assault on labor and free-speech rights,” said Justin Chen, president of AFGE Council 238, which represents thousands of EPA employees.

    More than 150 workers who were disciplined — up to and including being fired — included scientists, engineers, lawyers, contract officers, emergency response personnel “and a whole host of other jobs,” Chen told the Associated Press. “They live and work in communities around the country, and all believe in the mission of the agency to protect human health and the environment on behalf of the American public.”

    In a letter made public June 30, the employees wrote that the EPA is no longer living up to its mission to protect human health and the environment. The letter represented rare public criticism from agency employees who knew they could face retaliation for speaking out against a weakening of funding and federal support for climate, environmental and health science.

    Employees at other agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and Federal Emergency Management Agency, have issued similar statements. Some FEMA employees who signed a public letter of dissent earlier this week were put on administrative leave Tuesday, according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

    More than 180 current and former FEMA employees signed the letter made public Monday. The statement criticizes recent cuts to agency staff and programs and warns that FEMA’s capacity to respond to a major disaster is dangerously diminished.

    The EPA said last month it is eliminating its research and development arm and reducing agency staff by thousands of employees. Officials expect total staffing to go down to about 12,500, a reduction of more than 3,700 employees, or nearly 23%, from staffing levels when Trump took office in January.

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    Associated Press

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  • Antarctica Is Changing Rapidly. The Consequences Could Be Dire

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    This story originally appeared on Grist and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

    Seen from space, Antarctica looks so much simpler than the other continents—a great sheet of ice set in contrast to the dark waters of the encircling Southern Ocean. Get closer, though, and you’ll find not a simple cap of frozen water, but an extraordinarily complex interplay between the ocean, sea ice, and ice sheets and shelves.

    That relationship is in serious peril. A new paper in the journal Nature catalogs how several “abrupt changes,” like the precipitous loss of sea ice over the last decade, are unfolding in Antarctica and its surrounding waters, reinforcing one another and threatening to send the continent past the point of no return—and flood coastal cities everywhere as the sea rises several feet.

    “We’re seeing a whole range of abrupt and surprising changes developing across Antarctica, but these aren’t happening in isolation,” said climate scientist Nerilie Abram, lead author of the paper. (She conducted the research while at Australian National University but is now chief scientist at the Australian Antarctic Division.) “When we change one part of the system, that has knock-on effects that worsen the changes in other parts of the system. And we’re talking about changes that also have global consequences.”

    Scientists define abrupt change as a bit of the environment changing much faster than expected. In Antarctica these can occur on a range of times scales, from days or weeks for an ice shelf collapse, and centuries and beyond for the ice sheets. Unfortunately, these abrupt changes can self-perpetuate and become unstoppable as humans continue to warm the planet. “It’s the choices that we’re making right now, and this decade and the next, for greenhouse gas emissions that will set in place those commitments to long-term change,” Abram said.

    A major driver of Antarctica’s cascading crises is the loss of floating sea ice, which forms during winter. In 2014, it hit a peak extent (at least since satellite observations began in 1978) around Antarctica of 20.11 million square kilometers, or 7.76 million square miles. But since then, the coverage of sea ice has fallen not just precipitously, but almost unbelievably, contracting by 75 miles closer to the coast. During winters, when sea ice reaches its maximum coverage, it has declined 4.4 times faster around Antarctica than it has in the Arctic in the last decade.

    Put another way: The loss of winter sea ice in Antarctica over just the past decade is similar to what the Arctic has lost over the last 46 years. “People always thought the Antarctic was not changing compared to the Arctic, and I think now we’re seeing signs that that’s no longer the case,” said climatologist Ryan Fogt, who studies Antarctica at Ohio University but wasn’t involved in the new paper. “We’re seeing just as rapid—and in many cases, more rapid—change in the Antarctic than the Arctic lately.”

    While scientists need to collect more data to determine if this is the beginning of a fundamental shift in Antarctica, the signals so far are ominous. “We’re starting to see the pieces of the picture begin to emerge that we very well might be in this new state of dramatic loss of Antarctic sea ice,” said Zachary M. Labe, a climate scientist who studies the region at the research group Climate Central, which wasn’t involved in the new paper.

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    Matt Simon

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  • Manatee County residents push for more protection for Myakka River

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    MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County residents are fighting for more protection for the Myakka River, but state legislation could complicate future decisions. 

    Growing up along the river means this is where Lindsey Leigh feels most at peace.

    “You feel so connected to nature when you’re here—anywhere along this river,” she said.

    What You Need To Know

    • Manatee County residents are fighting for more protection for the Myakka River, but state legislation could complicate future decisions

    • Myakka River Management Coordinating Council sent an email to Manatee County commissioners on Aug. 20, regarding more protection for the river. They, too, are worried about development and are working to make a change 
    • Residents are also advocating for the protection of the river and wild Florida

    Leigh said she and her four kids come to the Myakka Road bridge, over the river, every week.

    “It’s really magical. I even watch my kids when we come out here—you can see their nervous systems regulate,” she said.

    That’s why protecting this river means so much to her.

    “This is old Florida,” she said. “You can literally hear all the birds and insects. It’s just such a beautiful space. And to get rid of wild Florida in the name of development and profit seems crazy to me.”

    She’s not alone. Other advocates include the Myakka River Management Coordinating Council. They, too, are worried about development and are working to make a change.

    Earlier this month, the council sent an email to Manatee County commissioners to push for a protection zone for the river. They proposed that residential structures are set 150 feet back from the protection zone and that dark-sky regulations are implemented in a five-mile radius.

    Becky Ayech, a member of the council, said, “The Myakka River in Manatee County is mostly surrounded by ranch land. So this is the time to get this protection zone in place, so that when development comes, it will be protected.”

    At an Aug. 19 meeting, Manatee County commissioners postponed a wetlands protection discussion, with Chairperson George Kruse citing concerns it would violate a new state law that prohibits local governments from adopting more restrictive land development regulations.

    But Lindsey hopes the county will continue those conversations despite the law.

    “So SB 180 could certainly stop or prolong the process of allowing our elected officials to put forth a motion like that. I mean, it is a big ask. And we recognize that there are many organizations that have tried to do this in the past and failed. But I feel like right now it’s so critical, with all the building going on that we’re actively watching,” she said.

    As residents like Lindsey continue to fight for better protection, she hopes the county will help preserve the river, too.

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    Julia Hazel

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  • ODNR celebrates bird migration with annual festival

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    OHIO — Fall is almost here, and that means thousands of birds will soon start their migration. 

    To celebrate, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will kick off its Headlands Birding Festival on Friday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, Sept. 21. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Headlands/Mentor Marsh region is rich of migratory birds, ODNR said

    • There will also be a keynote speaker and expert-led trips 

    • The festival is open to all

    “Every fall, Ohioans are treated to one of nature’s most incredible journeys as thousands of birds pass through our state,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “The Headlands Birding Festival is the perfect way to celebrate this migration while connecting people with the wonder of our natural world.” 

    ODNR said the Headlands/Mentor Marsh region is one of the state’s premier birding destinations. More than 350 migratory bird species have been documented in Lake County alone. The festival allows bird enthusiasts of all levels to get an up-close look at migrations and learn more about the species. 

    Along with sightings are expert-led field trips to the region’s best migratory bird hotspots, along with a boating experience offshore.

    The festival kicks off on Sept. 19 at Springbrook Gardens with keynote speaker, Julie Zickefoose, who is a naturalist, writer and artist. She lives and works on an 80-acre wildlife sanctuary in Whipple. 

    The festival is open to all. More information can be found here.

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    Lydia Taylor

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  • Kirkland Ranch to remain a green space among Pasco development

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    WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Nearly 1,000 acres of farmland in Pasco County is a step closer to being sold.

    The buyer is the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The goal is to protect the 974 acres of Kirkland Ranch from development. 

    “We appreciate Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature’s commitment to preserving this conservation land in one of the fastest-growing areas in Pasco County,” District Executive Director Brian Armstrong said in a statement. “This important purchase will help preserve the region’s lands and water resources for future generations.”

    What You Need To Know

    • The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s governing board approved the purchase of Kirkland Ranch

    • The ranch is 974 acres of farmland that’s been owned by the same family since 1956

    • The District is evaluating the best use of the land, with possibilities including agriculture and recreation

    • While development projects border the land, the District says the goal is to protect the ranch’s natural resources


    Pasco’s population has grown by nearly 200,000 people in the past ten years. With that has come development. 

    “This is one of the last large, green spaces in eastern Pasco County,” said Ellen Morrison, the District’s land resources bureau chief. “If you look around to all the connecting, it’s all residential development around it.”

    Morrison said walking around the land east of Curley Road is like stepping into the county’s not-too-distant past.

    “It’s completely unrecognizable from what it was five years ago. Just the development, the roads, the houses. What exists here is what, five years ago, was all around it,” she said.

    The same family has owned Kirkland Ranch since 1956. Now, the District wants to buy it for $30.8 million.

    “Our understanding is the Kirkland family wanted to preserve this property for that reason — to protect the natural resources that were on it,” Morrison said.

    That includes wetlands, the District says, which make up 41% of the property. 

    “This property has some really nice, intact natural systems that will help protect the water resources long term,” she said. “Just the ground cover, the grasses, the trees.”

    Across the road in the Epperson community’s Robin’s Cove neighborhood, residents had already heard the news.

    “I, personally, support it. I would rather keep the land like it is,” said resident Carl Phillips.

    Phillips said he built his house in the community two years ago and has seen a lot of changes in that time.

    “It’s good and bad, but I’ve seen a lot of development, and infrastructure potentially may not be keeping up,” he said.

    Phillips said he understands wanting to protect land like Kirkland Ranch. As a farmer in Washington state, he did something similar.

    “We sold development rights to our land to the county to where they can’t build a Walmart. The land, it has to be farmland forever,” Phillips said. “You’ve got to have some sort of nature. You’ve got to have something still producing water, still producing oxygen.”

    Morrison said the sale is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. The $30.8 million is coming from state funding. She said the district is evaluating the best use of the land. Agriculture and recreation uses are among the possibilities.

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    Sarah Blazonis

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  • Researchers test plant-based birth control on Lincoln Park rats after deaths of owl family

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    The latest weapon in Chicago’s war against rats is plant-based, naturally flavored and nutritious.

    It’s a birth control pellet made with corn and peanuts, and a team of researchers and volunteers will be serving it to discerning rats in a four-block area of Lincoln Park for a year.

    The aim is to reduce the rat population without harming urban wildlife, including owls and hawks, which can die after eating poisoned rodents.

    The study was sparked by the high-profile deaths of three beloved Lincoln Park owls — mom, dad and owlet — who made their home near North Pond and died in rapid succession last April and May. The deaths were all linked to rat poison, which causes internal bleeding.

    “We just realized we had to do something,” said Judy Pollock, former president of the Chicago Bird Alliance, which raised $32,000 for the study and is working with partners including the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation and 43rd Ward Ald. Timmy Knudsen.

    The Chicago study comes at a time when the poisonings of high-profile birds of prey have helped launch rat contraception studies in New York and Boston.

    New York lost Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl, who famously flourished in the city after escaping the Central Park Zoo, to a 2024 building collision. But testing showed Flaco had been exposed to a level of rat poison that would have been “debilitating and ultimately fatal” even without the accident — and may have made the accident more likely, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

    In 2023, a barred owl known as Owen was rescued near Boston’s Faneuil Hall after ingesting rat poison. Owen lost an eye but survived.

    The Lincoln Park owls nested in an easily accessible park, and some fans would visit them on a daily basis.

    Then all three owls died in the course of a single month.

    “It was really sad and there were a lot of people that watched it and as a result, I think, a lot of people are very interested in our work,” Pollock said.

    The contraceptive pellets, which are distributed in black feeding stations about the size of a traditional rat-bait box, look a lot like dry cat food and are sized for carrying (by a rat). The active ingredient is an extract of thunder god vine, an Asian plant that has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine.

    Thunder god vine, which is used to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, has a notable side effect: It can decrease fertility, according to Alaina González-White, director of operations at Wisdom Good Works, the Arizona nonprofit that is supplying the contraceptive used in the Chicago study.

    The Wisdom Good Works contraceptive targets both male and female rats, González-White said, interrupting ovulation in the females and inhibiting sperm development in the males.

    While standard rat poisons accumulate in the animal’s body, the active ingredient in the Good Works contraceptive is rapidly metabolized in the rat’s liver. The rats need to continue to consume the pellets to maintain the contraceptive effect.

    The contraceptive is formulated for rats and mice, so other animals would have to eat very large amounts to be rendered infertile, and even then, the effect would be reversible, according to Wisdom Good Works founder Loretta Mayer, who spoke at a recent webinar hosted by the Chicago Bird Alliance.

    Mayer, the co-inventor of the contraceptive, which is called Good Bites, said that Wisdom Good Works hasn’t seen any negative effects on birds, dogs or squirrels.

    During a study in the historic Jamaica Plain neighborhood in Boston that began in 2023, the rat population declined by 56% to 70% over the course of 16 months, Mayer said.

    Asked if Chicago could expect similar results, Mayer quipped: “Well, if I knew that I’d be in Las Vegas, making my fortune. Our experience tells us that … a 50% reduction would be an expected reduction.”

    She added, “If I were a betting woman, I’d probably bet somewhere around a 60-65% reduction level.”

    Contraceptives address the great challenge of rat control: the animals’ rapid rate of reproduction, according to Maureen Murray, assistant director of the One Health initiative at Lincoln Park Zoo.

    Murray, who is leading the Chicago rat contraception study, said rats can breed every three weeks, and they produce up to 12 pups in a litter.

    Two rats can produce about 1,250 rats in the course of a year, according to the global pest control company Rentokil.

    Killing a rat does, of course, end reproduction, but it’s incredibly difficult to kill enough rats to make a lasting dent in the population, Murray said. And when you kill rats, the remaining animals will multiply faster, because they have more access to resources such as food.

    Rats in an alley in the 1900 block of North Halsted Street, Aug. 12, 2025, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

    The Chicago rat contraception study will monitor the effects of the contraceptives using multiple measures. Researchers will look at how much of the contraceptive is consumed, how many rats are visiting the feeding stations, and how much rat activity is picked up at separate stations dubbed rat cams.

    The rat cams — upside down buckets with wildlife cameras hanging from the “ceiling” and peanut butter inside — will be stationed in areas where rats travel, such as along fences. Small holes in the buckets will allow the rats to enter and exit.

    The researchers will also be using the rat cams to monitor four neighboring blocks where contraceptive pellets won’t be distributed. That’s to help assure the researchers that any drop in the rat population in the area with pellets is due to contraception, rather than broader factors such as weather or sanitation.

    A rat’s range varies, but the animals typically stay within an area smaller than a city block.

    A 50% reduction in rats would be a great outcome for the study, said Gloria Pittman, Chicago deputy commissioner of the Department of Streets and Sanitation, at the Chicago Bird Alliance webinar.

    Streets and Sanitation helped choose the areas where the contraceptive is being placed and is part of the team that is monitoring the results.

    Knudsen, the 43rd Ward alderman, said in a news release that if all goes well with the study — and he believes it will — he wants to pitch a citywide rat contraception program.

    “It would be great if contraception could be one of the tools in the tool kit for rats,” said Murray. “I’m not sure that any one single tool is going to be the best in all scenarios, but I think having another tool so that we are less reliant on rat poison will benefit everyone. It will benefit people, it will benefit pets and it will benefit wildlife.”

    nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com

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    Nara Schoenberg

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  • Colorado wildfires: Lee fire now fourth-largest in state history

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    A slowly growing, nearly contained wildfire burning on Colorado’s Western Slope is now the fourth-largest on state record, according to fire officials.

    As of Monday night, the 90% contained Lee fire had scorched 138,844 acres between Meeker and Rifle. It grew by 1,086 acres on Monday, after multiple days with minimal to no growth.

    The new acres consumed by the Lee fire bumped the wildfire from fifth-largest to fourth-largest in Colorado history, passing the 137,760-acre Hayman fire that sparked in 2002, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.

    The Lee fire is now less than 200 acres away from becoming the third-largest wildfire on state record. Currently, that ranking belongs to the 2020 Pine Gulch fire that burned 139,007 acres.

    Rain showers and thunderstorms are forecast across the Western Slope again on Tuesday, bringing much-needed moisture to the state, fire officials said. Previous hot, dry and windy conditions fueled rapid fire growth in multiple counties across western Colorado, charring thousands of acres outside of the Lee fire.

    Jump to: Lee and Elk fires | Derby fire

    A wildland firefighting truck heads down a road through a hillside burned from the Lee fire near Colorado 64 in Rio Blanco County, west of Meeker, on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

    Lee and Elk fires, near Meeker

    The largest wildfire burning in Colorado — now the fourth-largest ever recorded in the state — consumed more than 1,000 new acres after a week of slow growth and increased containment, fire officials said.

    As of Monday night, the 138,844-acre Lee fire burning between Meeker and Rifle was 90% contained, fire officials said.

    All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted Saturday, and areas on pre-evacuation status were downgraded to monitoring status on Monday.

    No new evacuation orders were issued overnight Monday, despite the new fire growth.  An updated evacuation map for Rio Blanco and Garfield counties is available online.

    The Lee fire and nearby Elk fire, which consumed more than 14,500 acres before reaching full containment last week, have together destroyed at least five homes and 14 outbuildings, fire officials said.

    Extreme drought, high temperatures and strong winds fueled rapid growth on both fires, which were sparked by lightning west and east of Meeker on Aug. 2.

    Thunderstorms are most likely near Meeker and Rifle between 9 a.m. and midnight on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Rain showers, which are also expected in that period, could continue through 3 a.m. Wednesday before a brief reprieve.

    Rainy weather is expected to continue on Wednesday and Thursday, forecasters said.

    While the rain is helpful, afternoon thunderstorms also increase the risk of gusty winds, frequent lightning and flash flooding along burn scars, fire officials said.

    Road closures tied to the smaller Crosho fire near Yampa were lifted Monday afternoon. That fire has burned 2,073 acres and is 81% contained.

    A plane drops fire retardant on the Derby fire burning in Eagle County on Aug. 22, 2025. (Photo provided by Derby Fire Information)
    A plane drops fire retardant on the Derby fire burning in Eagle County on Aug. 22, 2025. (Photo provided by Derby Fire Information)

    Derby fire, in Eagle County

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    Lauren Penington

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  • FAA hears concerns over Starship plans at Kennedy Space Center

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX is looking to bring its Starship operations to Brevard County very soon.

    But launches and landings at the Kennedy Space Center could restrict public access to Playalinda Beach for at least 60 days out of the year.

    That’s why the Federal Aviation Administration is seeking input from the community after concerns have come to light.

    The agency began a series of meetings on Tuesday to give residents an opportunity to voice their concerns to FAA officials.  

    What You Need To Know

    • Space X’s Starship plans to expand operations to Brevard County soon

    • Some Brevard residents expressed concerns over the expansion of restricted zones for rocket launches

    • Such restrictions could lead to the closure of Playalinda Beach for at least 60 days out of the year

    • The FAA is holding a series of public meetings to gather community input on these ongoing plans


    SpaceX plans to launch Starship-Super Heavy 44 times a year from from pad 39A, and the FAA is reviewing many factors, like the environmental impacts to the noise level. (Starship is the spacecraft, while the Super Heavy is the rocket booster. When they are stacked together, they are collectively called Starship.)

    Community members like Robyn Memphis are concerned about SpaceX’s latest operations, given that the FAA is planning for the potential closure of Playalinda Beach for at least 60 days out of the year.

    “If you look at 60 days out of 365 days a year, that’s quite a few days of closures,” she said.

    More than two weeks ago, Memphis created a Change.org petition over how the restrictions are applied. It already has more than 3,100 signatures.

    “This isn’t a fixed amount of days that they’re proposing as, of course, we understand knowing things about rockets that it could be a lot more and is likely to be a lot more, and to go off of that, essentially the biggest concern there that arose is they aren’t necessarily citing safety as the issue for these closures. They largely chalk it up as logistical factors,” said Memphis, a Brevard County resident and avid beachgoer to Playalinda Beach.

    She said the community deserves more transparency regarding those logistical factors and what those entail regarding safety.

    In the draft of its 50-page Environmental Impact Statement, the FAA stated, “The actual duration of a closure associated with publicly accessible areas may be longer due to logistical aspects.”

    Launch scrubs and weather delays could also affect those beach closures, according to the FAA.

    Neither SpaceX nor the FAA can quantify how many days that would account for yet.

    The FAA warns the launches and landings would also have a major impact on air travel, to make sure airplanes don’t encounter any hazards during a SpaceX mission.

    “The average expected flight delay for launches would last approximately 40 minutes and could last up to 2 hours,” according to the FAA impact statement.

    Starship’s reentry over the Florida peninsula, the FAA found, could cause not only flight delays and re-routes, but also ground stops at multiple airports, including Orlando and Tampa International airports. That’s concerning to Titusville’s Susan Adair, who attended Tuesday’s meeting near the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

    “What’s going to happen to the tourism system in Florida coming in or other things? They’re going to be delayed from what I’m gathering or the potential to be delayed for quite a while,” said Adair.

    Then there are noise and vibration concerns.

    “The likelihood of people exposed to noise being awakened indoors would be as high 82 percent during late-night operations,” according to the FAA impact statement.

    Another meeting attendee, Barbara Evans, lives on the Indian River Lagoon across from the space center. Evans is used to her house vibrating during launches, but the frequency of Starship has her worried.

    “There’s the sonic booms in the middle night, I was awakened the other night, everybody was, they heard (the sonic boom) in Winter Park I was told,” Evans said.

    Her primary concern, however, is Playalinda Beach, a battle that she and her late-husband fought before, in the 1980s.

    “We are for the space industry,” she said, “(It) brings a lot of jobs here, it brings a lot of education to the world, we just need to coexist. It doesn’t need to be either or. NASA built us a road once, set a precedent, they can do it again”

    Two additional in-person meetings will take place at the same times on Thursday, Aug. 28, at the Radisson Conference Center in Cape Canaveral.

    A virtual meeting will also take place on Wednesday, Sept 3.

    Community members will have the opportunity to speak for 3 minutes each to share their concerns about the ongoing plans for Starship.

    • Thursday, August 28, 2025
      • 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM 
      • Radisson Conference Center, Grande Caribbean
      • 8701 Astronaut Boulevard, Cape Canaveral
    • Wednesday, September 3, 2025
      • 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM 
      • Virtual via Zoom webinar
      • FAA’s website has details on accessing the webinar

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    Sasha Teman, Jerry Hume

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  • Why Focusing Only on Profit Is Holding Your Business Back | Entrepreneur

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    You need focus to build a business, but my experience has taught me that there’s also such a thing as being too single-minded.

    Financial, environmental and community goals aren’t competing objectives; they’re interconnected. This is why founders who chase revenue at the expense of value for their customers or broader social impact often experience limited growth.

    This is a bit like buying a gym membership and then letting your diet go because you’re working out. Just like healthy eating habits are part of an effective fitness plan, your mission and values are essential parts of creating a business plan that works.

    So when my brother Todd and I founded Roof Maxx as a cost-effective alternative to roof replacement, it was about more than filling a gap we saw in the market. It was about solving a problem we saw people struggling with and doing it in a way that also helped those people feel like they were changing the world for the better.

    Here’s what we learned.

    Related: 4 Ways to Engage Your Customers in Social Good — And Why It Matters

    Consumers already want to do the right thing; you just have to help them

    Call me naive, but I take a view of the world that most people are basically good — or at least, they want to be.

    They might not always put the right items in the recycling bin, but that’s not because they hate the planet. They’re usually just confused or short on time, because modern life can be hectic and overwhelming.

    That means appealing to guilt is rarely the most effective way to sell someone on a socially responsible product or service. Guilt can be a powerful emotional trigger, but it only works when someone doesn’t want to do something.

    Todd and I saw this a lot in the early days of Roof Maxx. We knew many homeowners already had some idea of how much waste roof replacement produces, so we didn’t harp on it. No one was throwing away their shingles every few years because they genuinely believed it was good for the planet. They were doing it because the rest of the industry had convinced them there was no viable alternative.

    When people already want to make a change but don’t feel like they have the option, guilt just makes them feel worse. In these cases, you need to show them the option exists, then use other strategies to win their business.

    Related: How to Market to the Increasingly Socially Conscious Customer

    Learn to position “doing good” as “getting more”

    Since most people already want to be better citizens, you don’t need to waste time trying to convince them it’s a good idea. Instead, you should spend most of your pitch showing how easy you can make it for them and how they can benefit from taking action.

    The first few times we pitched Roof Maxx to homeowners, I saw how true this was. They listened when we talked about how they could save 3.8 tons of landfill waste on average by rejuvenating their roofs with our treatment instead of replacing them, but that wasn’t really where we won them over. The vast majority came on board when we showed them our solution cost up to 80% less than a full replacement, and that it could be done in a few hours instead of taking days or weeks.

    Those experiences showed me that we didn’t have to make our customers more willing to do good in the world, because most of them already had that motivation. All we had to do was take away the obstacles they felt were standing in their way.

    Social proof is never about you; it’s about your customers

    One of the things that struck me most about the first homeowners to work with us was how proud they were. That pride didn’t just stem from the time and money they had saved. For a lot of them, it also came from feeling like they had made a difference by reducing their carbon footprint. They felt like they had joined a community that was working to improve the world around them.

    It would have been easy to edit the many testimonials we received and trim them down into concise endorsements of our company. Many brands do. But we didn’t, because we knew those testimonials weren’t just about us. They were about the kinds of people who chose us and the values that those people upheld.

    A customer who touts the quality of your product is a good advocate. But a customer who sees your product as a way to help them live a better life is a great one. The more you showcase those people, the better you look by association.

    Related: Here’s Why Values Matter So Much in Business

    People are more loyal to values than they are to brands

    One last piece of advice: Brand loyalty is a fickle thing, but values tend to exist on a deeper level. People change their cell phone plans far more often than they change their core convictions.

    That means a strong mission helps you build long-term loyalty. If you’re really committed to saving money for people, protecting the environment or community building, then you’ll always be appealing to people who value those goals. And if you can somehow find a way to do all three at once, that loyalty becomes much more difficult to lose to a competitor.

    So while it might be tempting to focus on raw profit when you’re starting out, don’t be fooled. Your mission isn’t there to distract from your margins; it’s there to set your brand apart and attract customers who already want to be on board. From there, it’s just a matter of showing them how easy it is to get involved.

    You need focus to build a business, but my experience has taught me that there’s also such a thing as being too single-minded.

    Financial, environmental and community goals aren’t competing objectives; they’re interconnected. This is why founders who chase revenue at the expense of value for their customers or broader social impact often experience limited growth.

    This is a bit like buying a gym membership and then letting your diet go because you’re working out. Just like healthy eating habits are part of an effective fitness plan, your mission and values are essential parts of creating a business plan that works.

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    Mike Feazel

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  • Colorado wildfires: State’s fifth-largest wildfire on record now 90% contained

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    Colorado’s fifth-largest wildfire on record is 90% contained as rain showers and thunderstorms continue across the Western Slope, fire officials said.

    As of Monday morning, the Lee fire had consumed 137,758 acres, equal to roughly 215 square miles. The burn area is just two acres short of Colorado’s fourth-largest wildfire on record — the 137,760-acre Hayman fire that sparked in 2002.

    Other wildfires burning on Colorado’s Western Slope have scorched thousands of additional acres. Fire officials across the state have said hot, dry and windy conditions fueled the flames’ rapid growth.

    Storms over the next several days will bring much-needed rain to the drought-stricken Western Slope, according to the National Weather Service. But those storms also increase the risk of lightning and strong winds — weather that can start fires and fan the flames of those already burning.

    Jump to: Lee and Elk fires | Derby fire | Stoner Mesa fire | Air quality impacts

    A wildland firefighting truck heads down a road through a hillside burned from the Lee fire near Colorado 64 in Rio Blanco County, west of Meeker, on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

    Lee and Elk fires, near Meeker

    Growth on the largest wildfire burning in Colorado — the fifth-largest ever recorded in the state — has slowed over the past week as firefighters increase containment around the flames.

    As of Monday morning, the 137,758-acre Lee fire burning between Meeker and Rifle was 90% contained, fire officials said.

    “Minimal work” remains to fully contain the wildfire, Incident Commander Brent Olson said in a Sunday afternoon briefing.

    All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted Saturday, but multiple areas around the fire remain on pre-evacuation status. An updated evacuation map for Rio Blanco and Garfield counties is available online.

    The Lee fire and nearby Elk fire, which consumed more than 14,500 acres before reaching full containment last week, have together destroyed at least five homes and 14 outbuildings, fire officials said.

    Extreme drought, high temperatures and strong winds fueled rapid growth on both fires, which were sparked by lightning west and east of Meeker on Aug. 2.

    Rain showers and cooler temperatures helped mitigate the flames last week, which allowed firefighters to steadily increase containment. More showers and thunderstorms are expected in the days ahead as Colorado braces for a monsoonal weather system.

    Rain showers and thunderstorms are most likely near Meeker and Rifle between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Chances of precipitation range from 30% to 50%, forecasters said.

    Chances of rain greatly increase later this week in both areas, jumping to 90% Tuesday afternoon and remaining there until 11 a.m. Wednesday, according to hourly forecasts from the weather service.

    While the rain is helpful, afternoon thunderstorms also increase the risk of gusty winds, frequent lightning and flash flooding along burn scars, fire officials said.

    Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the Lee fire burn area on Sunday afternoon. The water caused a debris flow, which was blocking Piceance Creek Road, officials said in a Sunday afternoon update. It’s unclear if rain caused flooding in the Elk fire burn scar.

    A plane drops fire retardant on the Derby fire burning in Eagle County on Aug. 22, 2025. (Photo provided by Derby Fire Information)
    A plane drops fire retardant on the Derby fire burning in Eagle County on Aug. 22, 2025. (Photo provided by Derby Fire Information)

    Derby fire, in Eagle County

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    Lauren Penington

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