EnviroPolitics Blog

Coronavirus Infections Vastly Undercounted, C.D.C. Data Shows

The prevalence of infections is more than 10 times higher than the counted number of cases in six regions of the United States.

Barbara Davis, a nurse, drawing blood last week for an antibody test for the coronavirus in the District of Columbia. Credit…Win Mcnamee/Getty Images

By Apoorva Mandavilli New York Times

The number of coronavirus infections in many parts of the United States is more than 10 times higher than the reported rate, according to data released on Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The analysis is part of a wide-ranging set of surveys started by the C.D.C. to estimate how widely the virus has spread. Similar studies, sponsored by universities, national governments and the World Health Organization, are continuing all over the world.

The C.D.C. study found, for instance, that in South Florida, just under 2 percent of the population had been exposed to the virus as of April 10, but the proportion is likely to be higher now given the surge of infections in the state. The prevalence was highest in New York City at nearly 7 percent as of April 1.

“This study underscores that there are probably a lot of people infected without knowing it, likely because they have mild or asymptomatic infection,” said Dr. Fiona Havers, who led the C.D.C. study. “But those people could still spread it to others.”

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She emphasized the importance of hand-washing, wearing cloth masks and social distancing to stop the spread of the virus from people without symptoms.

The numbers indicate that even in areas hit hard by the virus, an overwhelming majority of people have not yet been infected, said Scott Hensley, a viral immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania who was not involved in the research.

“Many of us are sitting ducks who are still susceptible to second waves,” he said.

The difference between recorded infections and the actual prevalence in the data was highest in Missouri, where about 2.65 percent of the population was infected with the virus as of April 26, although many people might not have felt sick. This number is about 24 times the reported rate: nearly 162,000 compared with the 6,800 thought to have been infected by then.

The results confirm what some scientists have warned about for months: that without wider testing, scores of infected people go undetected and circulate the virus.

“Our politicians can say our testing is awesome, but the fact is our testing is inadequate,” Dr. Hensley said. “These are exactly the kind of studies we need right now.”

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Lawsuits allege big oil climate control deception

The lawsuits seek damages related to global warming under statutes prohibiting consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and false advertising.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Credit: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, three Koch industries entities and the American Petroleum Institute for harm caused by the sale and promotion of petroleum products causing climate change. Credit: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

David Hasemyer reports for Inside Climate News

Minnesota has jumped into the climate litigation fray with a lawsuit seeking to hold ExxonMobil, Koch Industries and the American Petroleum Institute accountable for their role in accelerating climate change and the damage it has already caused.

Attorney General Keith Ellison filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court to stop deceptive practices by Exxon, three Koch industries entities and API related to the sale and promotion of petroleum products known to cause climate change, saying in a statement that they “have harmed Minnesotans’ health and our state’s environment, infrastructure, and economy.”

The District of Columbia filed a similar action Thursday morning. After years of investigation, Attorney General Karl Racine announced a lawsuit against Exxon, BP, Chevron, and Shell alleging the companies systematically and intentionally misled district consumers about the role their products play in causing climate change.

Calling climate change “one of the greatest threats facing humanity,” the lawsuit says the oil companies violated the District’s consumer protection law by concealing the fact that using fossil fuels increases greenhouse gas emissions and threatens the health of District residents and the environment. “Defendants also knew that these increases in greenhouse gas concentrations would increase global temperatures, which would in turn wreak havoc on the planet, causing long-lasting changes in all components of the climate system, resulting in severe, pervasive, and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems,” according to the lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

The Minnesota lawsuit includes claims for consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and false advertising. In addition to asking for an injunction barring further violation of these laws, the complaint seeks restitution for the harms Minnesotans have suffered, and asks the court to require the defendants pay for a public education campaign on climate change.

“The State seeks to ensure that the parties who have profited from avoiding the consequences and costs of dealing with global warming and its physical, environmental, social, and economic consequences, bear the costs of those impacts, rather than Minnesota taxpayers, residents, or broader segments of the public,” the lawsuit said.

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NY Gov. adjusts virus order for ‘non-essential’ travel

Brendan J. Lyons Times Union
June 27, 2020 Updated: June 27, 2020 1:23 p.m.

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Saturday issued an order that will close a loophole which made employers responsible to pay the salaries of workers who are in mandatory 14-day quarantine if they left the state for non-essential purposes, including taking a vacation.

The governor’s order was issued two days after the Times Union reported the loophole that was created when Cuomo issued an executive order requiring anyone who enters New York after visiting states with high rates of coronavirus to self-quarantine. The issue arose due to an earlier executive order he issued mandating employers pay their workers if they are in a required quarantine.

“Gaming the system and playing Russian roulette with their health is not how New Yorkers have been acting throughout this pandemic, but this will give employers piece of mind and as a reminder, everyone should continue to be smart, wear a mask and wash your hands,” said Cuomo senior advisor Richard Azzopardi.

The Business Council of New York State, which had been researching the fallout of the issue and had been receiving questions from its members about the quarantine order, said it was appropriate for the governor to fix the defect.

“We felt it was a common sense approach and we appreciate the governor’s office including this in the executive order,” said Patrick Bailey, a spokesman for the Business Council.

Many other governors have imposed similar mandatory quarantines for people visiting or returning to their states, but New York’s order imposes hefty civil penalties — up to $10,000 — for anyone who violates the requirement. Other states have made the orders “advisory.”

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Lawmakers in Michigan consider bill to shape recycling market

By Leslie Nemo WasteDive

For the past few weeks, the Michigan House of Representatives has deliberated HB 5815, a bipartisan bill which would influence how the state spends $15 million each year on recycling marketing and infrastructure development.

This budget kicked in during the 2018-2019 fiscal year as part of the so-called Renew Michigan Fund, which allocates $69 million annually for a range of waste-related activities like contaminated site remediation and landfill oversight.

The Michigan Recycling Coalition has advocated for this bill to promote research and development into recycling and compost systems, as well as encourage counties to work with a range of related organizations. If municipalities need more infrastructure to meet these goals, legislation will also have to outline facility siting protocols to ensure good community relations, according to the organization

HB 5815 is part of a larger package of bills overhauling how Michigan approaches waste, recycling and organic materials management. The first in the series, HB 5812, lays out a statewide 35% recycling rate target for 2025, while the five following bills lay out regulations and programs to help municipalities reach that goal. If implemented, the legislation could push the state beyond its current 15% recycling rate. Former Gov. Rick Snyder previously pledged to double that recycling rate during his tenure, but was unsuccessful.

Michigan last passed solid waste regulations back in 1997. At the time, residents and the state government were more concerned about ensuring there was enough space for all the trash, said Kerrin O’Brien, executive director of the Michigan Recycling Coalition. Those laws require counties to always have enough landfill space for five-and-a-half years’ worth of waste.

This protocol ensured that landfills always had ample space and artificially lowered disposal costs, O’Brien explained when testifying to the state legislature earlier this month. Legislation revolving around landfill capacity hinders recycling and composting efforts that have grown as people learn more about what can be reused, O’Brien told Waste Dive.

”In the past 30 years, we’ve really been investing in and improving our capacity to divert materials to productive use, but our solid waste laws don’t reflect that and encourage that,” she said.

To refocus Michigan’s waste management priorities, the bills would add new landfill oversight and help counties figure out what recycling and composting services they need. Those programs might come to fruition thanks to the $15 million directed each year toward recycling protocols and marketing, a surprise windfall from online sales tax revenue that offset a push to increase landfill tip fees at the time.

Market development efforts have more recently come from smaller scale federal programs or the private sector. But this area historically used to be a state-level focus and is starting to gain new attention following commodity market disruptions. California, Colorado, Texas and Washington are among multiple states to take new steps in this area recently.

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What you’ll see when AC casinos reopen

Ocean Resort Casino’s CEO Terry Glebocki shares the changes made to prepare for a July 2 reopening

RAVEN SANTANA, NJTV NEWS | JUNE 26, 2020 |

In one week, Atlantic City is going to look a whole lot different as casinos that have been closed for more than three months open their doors on July 2. A lot of work is being done to prepare for customers, even at 25% capacity.

Raven Santana of NJTV News toured the Ocean Resort Casino with CEO Terry Glebocki while workers finalized the changes being made to keep customers safe. Glebocki, who said, “Social distancing is the key,” noted they are still awaiting final state protocols for reopening but have already arranged machines and tables to allow for safe social distancing; face masks will be mandatory for staff members and customers. And more than 200 hand sanitizer stations have been installed.

How about you? Do you plan to return to the casinos when they reopen? How long might you wait after the July 2 reopening date? Why. Click the comment link under the headline above and tell us what you think.

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Top consumer brands seen falling behind on recycling goals

None of the 50 companies evaluated by shareholder advocacy group As You Sow earned higher than a B- on recycling, reusability or compostability goals. Multiple companies pushed back on the report.

By E.A. Crunden WasteDive

Many major consumer product companies are failing to address widespread plastic pollution despite their recycling goals, according to nonprofit corporate responsibility and shareholder advocacy group As You Sow.

The “Waste and Opportunity 2020” report authored by the group finds “no corporate leaders” on plastic pollution reduction.

Alongside its plastics focus, the report centers around U.S. recycling issues and emphasizes the need for more funding. Research and analysis by The Recycling Partnership (TRP) on U.S. recycling rates and the cost of overhauling national infrastructure also factor heavily into the findings. As You Sow cites TRP’s research finding around $12 billion needed “to fix the system” and address issues in the sector.

The research looks at the 50 largest consumer-facing companies in sectors including quick-serve restaurants, beverages, retail and consumer packaged goods. Twelve companies received C grades, while 22 received D grades and 15 received F grades. Of those, Walmart, Kroger, PepsiCo, Tyson Foods, Kraft Heinz, and Mondelēz International were the six lowest-ranked companies by size of revenue. The highest grade was a B-, given to Unilever.

As You Sow’s report measured company progress using six different metrics: packaging design; reusable packaging; recycled content; packaging data transparency; support for recycling; and producer responsibility. In those areas, As You Sow said company progress was most evident in pledges and goals set around redesigning products to be more sustainable along the established metrics, with most earning A or B grades.

In other areas, As You Sow ranked those companies lower, finding “notably less leadership in the areas of reusable packaging innovation, data transparency and producer responsibility.” Overall, companies performed lowest when ranked on their commitment to extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations.

Multiple companies that earned F grades in the report told Waste Dive they disagreed with As You Sow’s findings or pointed to the steps they have taken to incorporate recyclability and waste reduction into their businesses.

In response to the report, a Whole Food Market spokesperson said the company was the first nationally to ban plastic straws and plastic checkout bags, while National Beverage Corp. said 80% of its products come in aluminum cans that “generally contain approximately 73% recycled material.”

Hormel Foods said via email the company “will work with As You Sow to help them better understand the sustainable and innovative work we have done surrounding packaging.” The email said the majority of the company’s packaging does not contain plastic and is recyclable.

A spokesperson for Smithfield Foods said the company has “significantly increased recycling of waste packaging material at our facilities” as part of “zero-waste-to-landfill efforts,” with 30% of its U.S. facilities certified as such.

Other companies given a failing grade did not respond to a request for comment as of publishing time.

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