A federal judge in Montana has vacated oil and gas leases on 145,000 acres of land issued by the Trump administration. Judge Brian Morris found that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) failed to consider the environmental implications of the 287 leases they sold to energy companies in December 2017 and March 2018.

BLM provided no catalogue here and little analysis to show the combined environmental impacts…if BLM ever hopes to determine the true impact of its projects on climate change, it can do so only by looking at projects in combination with each other, not simply in the context of state and nation-wide emissions.”

Judge Brian Morris

The Bureau of Land Management lease process requires the organization to conduct an environmental review before placing lands up for sale. In the case of these leases, Judge Morris found the environmental review process lacking, as it failed to consider the effects of drilling on local water supplies and climate change.

Recommended: Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections 

With all due respect, we disagree with the Court’s conclusion, and the B.L.M. stands by its analysis in following the letter of the law to issue oil and gas leases in Montana. Regardless of the ultimate outcome of this dispute and despite the attempts of radical, special interest groups, the Department and the B.L.M. will continue to work toward ensuring America’s energy independence while preserving a healthy environment.”

Derrick Henry, Bureau of Land Management

The Trump administration is currently under fire for its systematic dismantling of many of the environmental protections put in place by the previous administration. Montana, in particular, has been a hotspot for legal cases between environmental groups and big oil and gas. This decision comes after a key government permit for the Keystone XL pipeline was revoked in April of this year.

The Trump administration’s lust for energy dominance at the expense of people and the environment has, fortunately, hit another brick wall. This is another major win for our climate, while protecting almost 150,000 acres of public lands from industry exploitation.”

Kyle Tisdel, attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center

Judge Morris has a record of environmentally friendly decisions. In addition to being the judge who recently revoked the Keystone XL permit, he also halted construction of the pipeline in 2018. In each case, he has ruled that further environmental study is necessary.

Sources:

• U.S. judge halts oil leases due to lack of federal study of water impacts – Reuters
• In A Setback For Trump, Judge Blocks Keystone XL Pipeline Construction – NPR

A Spanish municipal official has apologized for spraying a local beach with bleach in an effort to combat COVID-19. Government officials in Zahara de los Atunes in southern Spain sent tractors to spray beach at local beaches. The country has been under lockdown since the middle of March, and this week marks the first time children under the age of 14 will be able to go outside (albeit only for an hour).

Related: Sunlight and Alcohol Showed Effective at Killing Coronavirus, Alcohol More Effective Than Bleach

The decision to spray the beach has come under fire from environmental groups in the country. In addition to the ecosystem disruption caused by the bleach, the use of tractors could crush eggs from birds using the beach as a nesting ground. In a twitter post, Greenpeace Spain said,

Fumigating beaches with bleach in the middle of bird-breeding season or during the development of the invertebrate network that will support coastal fishing … is not one of [Donald] Trump’s ideas. It is happening in Zahara de los Atunes,”

Translated from Greenpeace Spain

Related: Coronavirus Cleaning Leads to Increased Calls to Poison Centers

Sources:

• Spanish official apologizes for spraying beach with bleach – The Guardian

People in the U.S. have another reason to stay in the house, as the highly aggressive Giant Asian Hornet has invaded Washington State. The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) confirmed the first sightings of the venomous hornets in the United States in December 2019. Giant hornet populations have been decimating beehives, as a few hornets can destroy a beehive in hours. The WSDA has issued an advisory.

Use extreme caution near Asian giant hornets. The stinger of the Asian giant hornet is longer than that of a honeybee and the venom is more toxic than any local bee or wasp. Typical beekeeping protective clothing is not sufficient to protect you from stings. If you find a colony, do not attempt to remove or eradicate it. Report it to WSDA immediately. Anyone who is allergic to bee or wasp stings should never approach an Asian giant hornet.”

WSDA

Recommended: How to Eliminate IBS, IBD, Leaky Gut 

Giant Asian Hornet stings are extremely painful and cause 30-50 deaths in Japan every year. Hornet venom contains mandaratoxin, a neurotoxin, and stings have caused kidney failure, anaphylactic shock, and multiple organ failure in extreme cases. Those who have been stung by the hornet say it “feels like having a hot nail punched into you.”

These “murder hornets” are 2 inches long, and will be extremely detrimental to honeybee populations in the U.S. Japanese bee populations have developed defense mechanisms to limit damage from Giant Asian Hornets, but it is unlikely honeybees will be able to evolve coping mechanisms in time.

Related: Is Your Honey Actually Honey?

Sources

• Great, Now Invasive ‘Murder Hornets’ Are a Thing to Worry About – Earther
• ‘Murder Hornet’, Invasive Insect From Asia, Spotted in U.S. for the First Time – Interesting Engineering

President Trump’s recent executive order to keep meat and poultry processing plants open during the COVID-19 pandemic might not be enough to keep farmers from culling their herds. Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota, told a CNN reporter, Manu Raju, that farmers will have to kill 60,00 to 70,000 pigs a day due to the lack of processing plants.

I think you are going to see some grocery stores have shortages of pork next week…(if shutdowns continue) you can end up running out of pork completely.”

Collin Peterson, House Agriculture Chairman

While consumers will be dealing with pork shortages, farmers will have to find a way to dispose of the hogs. There are serious environmental and health implications for each of the disposal methods available to farmers, which include burning, burying, and composting.

Recommended: How to Eliminate IBS, IBD, Leaky Gut 

Burning the pig carcasses creates air pollution. After a 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak in the U.K. necessitated the slaughter of 6.5 million animals, researchers calculated that every burned pig carcass generated around three pounds of particulate matter. Burial is the cheapest option, but the carcasses release liquid that leaches into the water supply. Nitrates are particularly toxic to infants at high levels. Composting is the most eco-friendly method of the three, but it requires resources that farmers may not be able to easily locate. Management of the composting will require a subject expert and enough carbon-rich material like sawdust or leaves.

If the food supply chain breaks down, the dichotomy will be painful. Farmers will continue to produce food, but without a way to process it, consumers will be unable to purchase it.

Sources

• As slaughterhouses close, farmers may have to cull thousands of hogs a day. Those carcasses need to go somewhere—and there are no good options – The Counter
• Trump is keeping meatpacking plants open — but employees are scared to show up for work – Vox

As COVID-19 deaths in the United States finally pass the 1 million mark, another population will see a decline of twice that many. Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc announced that poultry plants in Delaware and Maryland will “depopulate” (humanely kill) 2 million chickens due to a lack of workers at processing plants. Typically depopulation is used when there is an infectious disease outbreak. Allen Harim, the poultry processor planning on depopulating its birds, informed growers of the decision in a letter circulated on Facebook.

Related: Economic Recession Will Likely Kill More Children Than Total Coronavirus Death Toll

When we started noticing the downward trend in attendance, we reduced the number of eggs set and chicks placed. Unfortunately, reduced placements will not make an impact for another six weeks, and with the continued attendance decline, and building bird inventory daily, we are forced to make a very difficult decision.

Starting Friday, April 10, we will begin depopulating flocks in the field. If your flock is chosen, we will reach out to you and provide further details. Growers, whose flocks we depopulate, will be fairly compensated by Allen Harim.

Michele V. Minton, Director of Live Operations

Recommended: How to Eliminate IBS, IBD, Leaky Gut 

Allen Harim was previously in the news in February when one of their plants was shut down for failing to comply with regulatory sanitary conditions requirements. The plant was closed for four days before it reopened.

The depopulation of healthy birds due to a lack of processing capabilities further supports the full-page ad placed in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by Tyson Foods.

Millions of animals – chickens, pigs, and cattle – will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities. The food supply chain is breaking…”

John Tyson, CEO of Tyson Foods

The USDA is purchasing 3 billion dollars in produce, dairy, and meat from farmers in attempts to reduce food waste and stabilize the markets. Even with these measures, meat prices will likely rise from 1% to 3% as a result of the pandemic shutdown.

Sources:

• 2 million chickens will be killed in Delaware and Maryland because of lack of employees at processing plants – CNN
• Allen Harim chicken plant reopens, yet ‘sanitary conditions’ that closed it remain unknown – Poultry Producer
• Tyson Foods chairman warns ‘food supply chain is breaking’ as coronavirus forces plant closures – CNBC

Public Health England is recommending that people take vitamin D supplements in an effort to protect themselves from COVID-19. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is necessary for healthy bones, teeth, and muscles and boosts immune system health. Exposure to sunlight allows your body to manufacture its own vitamin D, and the British government is concerned that the increased time spent indoors during the pandemic and out of the sun will leave people at a greater risk to the virus.

Related: Sold Out – How To Get Vitamin C (Recipe/DIY)

Unfortunately, as the effects of coronavirus continue, many of us are limited in the time we can spend outdoors. Correctly abiding by government rules and staying at home is immensely important and, while many of us have limited access to sunlight, this means we need to take a little extra care to keep our vitamin D levels healthy.”

Sara Stanner, British Nutrition Foundation

There has been no evidence to suggest that vitamin D is effective in treating coronavirus. But low levels of vitamin D have been associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as viral and bacterial infections. Vitamin D deficiency is already an issue for 42% of Americans.

Related: Supplements To Defend Against Coronavirus

Sources:

• Can Vitamin D Lower Your Risk of COVID-19? – Healthline
• Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Associated Risk Factors in the US Population (2011-2012) – NCBI

New research finds that high levels of pollution are closely associated with COVID-19 deaths. In a new study that examined 66 administrative regions in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany, researcher Yann Ogen found that 78% of deaths occurred in just 5 regions. These regions had the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions, a gas that accumulates as vehicle emissions get trapped by weather conditions. The gas causes an increased likelihood of respiratory problems like wheezing coughs, colds and flu, lung infections, and bronchitis.

Related: Sold Out – How To Get Vitamin C (Recipe/DIY)

The results indicate that long-term exposure to this pollutant may be one of the most important contributors to fatality caused by the Covid-19 virus in these regions and maybe across the whole world…Poisoning our environment means poisoning our own body, and when it experiences chronic respiratory stress its ability to defend itself from infections is limited.”

Yaron Ogen, post-doctoral researcher – Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Other research has found that air pollution is a potential risk factor for coronavirus in another way. Italian researchers have identified a gene-specific to COVID-19 in outdoor air pollution samples from the Bergamo province in Italy. The study has not been peer-reviewed. Additional research has found that COVID-19 can survive up to three hours suspended in airborne droplets.

Sources:

• Coronavirus detected on air pollution particles: report – The Hill
• Study: Small increases in air pollution make coronavirus much more deadly – Vox