At their national convention,GOP leaders ignored the topic of climate change. They also ignored the concerns of some Republicans—especially younger voters—who want to address global warming.
President Donald Trump speaks on the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention with a speech delivered in front a live audience on the South Lawn of the White House on Aug. 27, 2020. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
As a cascade of extreme weather disasters upended life across the nation this week, there was no mention of climate change during the four days of the Republican National Convention. The only party leader to refer to “climate” was President Donald Trump, who boasted about withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.
Amid devastating California wildfires, one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast in 50 years and the fallout from an unprecedented “derecho” storm system in Iowa, GOP leaders were silent about the science linking the increased frequency and intensity of such calamities to a warming planet.
The party made clear its calculation that voters do not require any more response from the GOP other than allegiance to Trump and his signing of emergency orders, seasoned with invective toward Democrats. Trump himself provided plenty of the latter.
“How can Joe Biden claim to be an ‘ally of the light’ when his own party can’t even keep the lights on?” he asked in his acceptance speech, contending that power outages California experienced, related to an extreme heat wave, somehow were connected to Democratic energy policy.
Trump has spent nearly four years dismantling U.S. climate policy, rolling back more than 150 environmental regulations, and opening public lands to oil and gas development. No American president has done more to eliminate environmental protection.
But in turning a blind eye to climate change, GOP leaders are ignoring the pleas of some party activists, especially young voters. A majority of Americans say they believe climate should be a top concern for the president and Congress. And polls show that the failure to back environmental protection is a major vulnerability for Republicans heading into November.
“The perception that the Republican party does not care about the environment, and the unfortunate continued perception that it doesn’t take climate change seriously as an issue is something that’s going to hurt badly,” said Quillan Robinson, vice president of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), an advocacy group started by young Republicans.
New York Department of Environmental Conservation news release
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the temporary closure of three shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island during the upcoming Labor Day holiday period. These closures are imposed during busy holidays to protect public health from potentially contaminated shellfish associated with increased boating activity in shellfishing waters.
Boaters are reminded to use pump-out facilities to help protect these waters. When boating, DEC encourages New Yorkers to get outside safely, locally, and responsibly during the State’s response to COVID-19, and to avoid busy waters.
“DEC closes shellfishing in these waters annually during the Labor Day holiday due to the heavy increase in recreational activities,” Commissioner Seggos said. “Responsible boating plays a major role in protecting our local waterways and DEC continues to urge boaters to be aware of the no-discharge zones in New York’s coastal waters and to use pump-out facilities to prevent impacts to our natural resources and protect public health.”
Since 1995, DEC has designated these areas as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish during the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. During peak holiday periods, discharges from marine sanitation devices (toilets) may contaminate nearby shellfish beds with pathogenic bacteria or viruses, rendering the shellfish unsafe for human consumption.
DEC will designate the following areas, all on the north shore of Long Island, as closed to the harvest of shellfish beginning at sunrise on Friday, Sept. 4, and continuing through Wednesday, Sept. 9:
445 acres in a section of Oyster Bay Harbor, town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County
50 acres in the area known as the Sand Hole, town of Huntington, Suffolk County
347 acres in northern Port Jefferson Harbor, town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County
Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in these areas on Thursday, Sept. 10. If poor weather causes fewer boaters to visit these areas, DEC may rescind the closure and reopen the areas earlier to harvesting. A recorded message advising the public about temporary closures of any shellfishing areas in New York State is accessible 24 hours a day by calling (631) 444-0480. The recorded message also advises harvesters when such areas have reopened. Information, including maps showing the affected areas, is available on DEC’s website.
New York State is encouraging boaters to engage in responsible recreation during the State’s ongoing response to COVID-19. The particular practice of “rafting” where multiple vessels tie up with each other should be avoided since this can increase the chance of disease transmission. DEC recommendations incorporate guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health for reducing the spread of infectious diseases and encourage New Yorkers to recreate locally, practice physical distancing, show respect, and use common sense to protect themselves and others. For more information about engaging in responsible recreation this summer, visit DEC’s website.
Boaters should be aware that Oyster Bay Harbor, the Sand Hole, and Port Jefferson Harbor are designated as no-discharge zones in their entirety. A no-discharge zone is a designated body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in these areas should utilize the following pump-out facilities:
Oyster Bay Harbor (West Harbor, town of Oyster Bay): One pump-out boat is operated by the town of Oyster Bay at no cost to boaters. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Contact the pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 9 or by cell phone at (516) 375-9864. In addition, the town provides two pump-out stations on floats near the Oyster Bay Marine Center and Waterfront Park and a land-based pump-out in the town marina at Theodore Roosevelt Park.
The Sand Hole (Lloyd Neck, town of Huntington): Although there are no facilities within the Sand Hole, boaters should contact Town of Oyster Bay pump-out boat as noted above. There also is a land-based pump-out facility at Powle’s Marine Center in Cold Spring Harbor. In addition, boaters traveling from town of Huntington waters can request the services of the town’s pump-out boat (no fee) by calling on marine radio VHF channel 9. There are also a number of land based pump-out facilities at marinas in Northport Harbor and Huntington Harbor.
Port Jefferson Harbor (town of Brookhaven): The town of Brookhaven operates a pump-out boat (no fee) in Port Jefferson Harbor. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boaters may contact the town’s pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 73. In addition, the town provides a pump out station on its transient dock, east of the boat launch ramp, west of the charter fishing vessels.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — A photo of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney eating indoors in Maryland has sparked some criticism on Sunday night, as the COVID-19 outbreak has forced some city businesses to close and others struggling to stay afloat with outdoor dining.
The mayor’s office confirmed that he went to a friend’s restaurant on Sunday. The picture has since gone viral because Kenney has staunchly stood by his decision to not allow restaurants in the city to open for indoor dining.
“We need to follow what we are being asked to do by the health department,” Kenney said earlier this month while announcing new upcoming restrictions on indoor dining. “I beg you to follow the rules.”
On Sunday night, the mayor’s office defended the photo, releasing this statement:
“The mayor went to Maryland earlier today to patronize a restaurant owned by a friend of his. For what it’s worth, he also went to Rouge to enjoy outdoor dining in Philly on the way home. He looks forward to expanding indoor dining locally next week.
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New Jersey bars and restaurants will be allowed to reopen their indoor dining sections with restrictions ahead of the Labor Day weekend, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday morning.
Restaurants can allow customers indoors beginning Friday, Murphy said. The move comes about two months after Murphy pumped the brakes on allowing indoor dining after he announced it would be permitted ahead of the July Fourth weekend.
Restaurants will be required to operate under limited capacity and follow other safety guidelines.
“Restaurants statewide will be able to open for indoor dining beginning this FRIDAY at 25% capacity and with social distancing between tables,” Murphy said in a tweet. “Reopening responsibly will help us restore one of our state’s key industries while continuing to make progress against #COVID19.
Other restrictions on indoor dining mirror ones detailed when the state originally planned to allow it in early July include:
Patrons required to wear masks unless they are eating, under the age of 2, or have a health issue.
Staff members required to wear masks.
Tables spaced at least 6 feet apart.
Enhanced sanitation.
Guests placing orders only at a table and staffers bringing food and beverages only to tables.
Patrons barred from walking around while eating.
Limiting seating to a maximum of 8 customers per table — unless from an immediate family or the same household
Encouraging reservations for greater control of customer traffic.
Requiring customers to provide a phone number if making a reservation to facilitate contact tracing.
In what amounts to a first, all four of the state’s electric utilities have plans to either install smart meters or, in the case of Rockland Electric, have already done so.
Smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure are widely viewed as crucial to building a smarter electric grid — one that can successfully integrate intermittent sources of electricity like solar panels and offshore wind into a more intelligent power grid. It will also give utilities the ability to respond and restore power rapidly when more than a million customers experience outages, such as happened earlier this month during a tropical storm.
So far, that’s largely not the case in New Jersey, with the exception of Rockland Electric’s 74,000 customers, who got smart meters last year under a pilot program approved by the state Board of Public Utilities.
Holding off on smart metering
In the past, state regulators have been reluctant to boost utility customers’ bills by approving smart meters, even though they are widely used in the rest of the country, with more than 90 million homes outfitted with the technology.
“New Jersey has been beyond the curve for years on smart meters,’’ said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey. “We’ve underinvested in the electric grid for generations.’’
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Public schools in Pa. were required to pay employees through June, but the mandate has expired, the Inquirer reports, so many districts are furloughing staff. The moves, which are not yet happening in Philadelphia, come as another potential health issue rears its head. The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease flourishes in stagnant water, like that in semi-shuttered academic buildings. Experts tell the New York Times it can only be cleared out by flushing every tap. So far in Pa., it’s been found in four schools near Pittsburgh, per WXPI.
