Toledo's Lake Erie Bill of Rights faces legal jeopardy from state and corporate interests

At the end of April, Vox reported on something that sounds extraordinary, This lake now has legal rights, just like you, Toledo's Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

Why the “rights of nature” could be the next frontier for environmentalism.
...
The Lake Erie Bill of Rights is the first law of its kind in the United States. In February of 2019, the residents of Toledo, Ohio voted to give Lake Erie's entire ecosystem legal rights. That means any citizen of Toledo, if they have credible evidence that a corporation or government is harming the lake, can file a lawsuit on behalf of Lake Erie in court.

The Lake Erie Bill of Rights is part of a larger movement to give legal rights to mountains, rivers, forests, and other natural objects. The citizens of these communities -- from Pennsylvania, to Ecuador, to New Zealand -- argue that because their long-term survival is dependent on the health of their natural surroundings, anything that harms the lakes, rivers, or forests they depend on should be considered a legal harm.

It’s a totally new way of approaching the law, and it could change the very nature of our relationship with the natural world. This is how one community in Ohio started what they hope will be a nationwide movement.

Of course, this attracted significant opposition.  Follow over the jump to read the rest of the story.

Flu claiming lives in Michigan and California

The flu outbreak has become more serious since I posted Flu season arrives.  It's so bad that I included the following in the tip jar (mandatory first comment) to tonight's  Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (Polar Vortex) on Daily Kos.

With flu season ramping up, it's time to re-institute a feature not seen since the H1N1 outbreak during 2009-2010, the flu quarantine section in the tip jar.

I have a feeling I'll be doing this for the next three months.  At least it makes it easier to repost the material here.

Speaking of convenience, I was able to pair up one video from a local TV station with a story from KPBS.  It's downright uncanny.  I begin with a pair of stories about the general situation.  First, WOOD-TV: Doctors worry about 2014 Flu Strain.


Next, Capital Public Radio via KPBS: California Flu Activity Reaches Widespread Levels By Max Pringle, Capital Public Radio on Friday, January 10, 2014.

The state of California is reporting that flu activity has reached widespread levels as determined by the Centers for Disease Control. Seven confirmed flu-related deaths have been reported statewide since September and 28 others are being investigated.

The California Department of Public Health said an H1N1 virus similar to the 2009 swine flu pandemic is spreading rapidly. The 2009 pandemic killed more than 600 Californians. State epidemiologist Gil Chavez said the epidemic has exceeded that of a typical year.

Follow over the jump for a pair of stories about flu fatalities and another pair about the need for vaccinations.

July weather in November

I know that weather isn't climate, but this has been quite the day and night here in the Midwest.  ABC News has the honor of going first with Tornadoes Wreak Havoc Across Midwest.

20 states under extreme weather watch, 15 tornado reports so far in Illinois.

Here in Michigan, the storm hit the west side of the state first and hardest, as WOOD-TV reported in Winds down trees, power lines; cause damage.

A long line of unusually strong November storms swept through West Michigan Sunday.

The live location reports make it seem like there is a lot of damage, but it's hard to tell given that it's after dark.  I'm sure that there will be a lot more damage to see when Sun comes up.

On this side of the state, WXYZ predicts high winds and dropping temperatures as well in High Wind Warning until 5 AM.


The wind has already shut off power here twice, the first time for a second, the next for about a minute.  It was just long enough so that I had to reset all the clocks.  Inconvenient, but no more.

The ABC News report predicted that conditions will be worse in Ohio than here in Michigan overnight.  WNWO's reporting doesn't sound that alarmed in Storms Move Out, But Winds Stick Around.


Last week, snow.  This week, thunderstorms.  Next week, more snow.  Welcome to Michigan in the 400 ppm world.

Effects of the shutdown from local news

So the federal government shutdown is upon us.  How is that being covered in the local TV news?  I'll begin with WNWO, where the station's resident economic expert explains in What it means for Americans in possible government shutdown.

President and CEO of Great Lakes Credit Union David Seeger gives analysis of the market less than 24 hours of a government shutdown.

Once again, Seeger gives a valuable statistic--one week of shutdown takes 0.1% off the GPD for a quarter.  He also warns about the effects of a debt ceiling beach, which would be even worse.  Here's to hoping that doesn't happen.

WXYZ gets more concrete in Metro Detroit braces for impact of government shutdown.


Note that this report concentrates on how the shutdown affects national defense.  This is not good for our security.

Follow over the jump for more concrete examples from WNWO and WOOD-TV.

Toledo mayoral primary

I wrote "I want to see if infrastructure was a deciding issue" for determining who the general election candidates will be for Toledo Mayor.  The answer appears to be yes and no.  The candidates who came in second and third were the ones featured in Sinkhole and infrastructure become issues in Toledo election, so one of them was able to use that issue to their advantage.  That's the yes part.  I'll let WNWO explain the no part in General election campaign for Toledo mayor begins.



Bell finishes first, Collins second in 7 candidate primary.
Instead, it looks like the issues have become public safety and labor relations.  While it's not infrastructure, it's still an example of how politics and policy have become struggles between austerity and sustainability.

September heat wave in midwest breaks records

It's too early to call the Elections I'm watching tonight, so instead I'll focus on this week's weather in Michigan and Ohio, which is breaking records for heat.  I begin with WOOD-TV for a good regional picture focused on West Michigan in Storm Team 8 forecast 6 p.m. - 9/10/13.


Note the record high low for Grand Rapids as well as the warm temperatures elsewhere, along with the predicted drop in temperatures coming this weekend.

Toledo's WNWO pointed out both that today was the warmest day of the year so far (and likely will be the warmest day of the year, period) as well as the forecast for lower temperatures in Summer sizzle gives way to a Fall chill by end of the week.


It wasn't quite the record breaker at Detroit's Metro Airport that was predicted, but it was hot enough, as the Detroit Free Press described in Heat wave breaks record, cooler weather moving in later this week.

A high temperature of 93 degrees was recorded just before 3 p.m. at Detroit Metro Airport, said Rachel Kulik, meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in White Lake Township. The hottest temperature on record for Sept. 10 is 94 degrees, set in 1983.

Kulik said with the heat index, it felt like 99 degrees outside.

Flint broke a record. Temperatures there reached 96 degrees today, smashing the 1983 record of 93 degrees.

Kulik said 96 degrees was also recorded in Mt. Clemens and at Detroit's Coleman A. Young International Airport. The weather service does not have past record high temperatures for those locations.

WXYZ, as it usually does, found a human interest angle for Beating the heat.



People are taking action to beat the late summer heat.
Stay cool, everyone.

Elections to watch today

I'm not just watching the elections in Detroit and Ann Arbor.  I'm also paying attention to those in New York City, Toledo, and Colorado.  Follow over the jump for the latest on those stories.

The Syria fear premium continues slowly subsiding

In Corner station consolidates position in Syria fear premium battle, I described how all the local stations consolidated their positions in the price war.

Yesterday, the three stations down the block dropped their prices to $3.69 pulling the corner station down to $3.75.  Today, the corner station joined them at $3.69.  It turns out that the local stations were merely reflecting the price of Brent crude, which fell to $115.16 from its peak yesterday of $116.71, a drop of $1.45 and 1.26%.  According to Econobrowser, that translates to a national average price at the pump of $3.72.  The local price has merely adjusted to that level.

That's where prices remained until today, when all four stations were selling regular at $3.65.  As usual, gas shot up like a rocket but is coming down like a parachute.

Econobrowser shows that's happening at all levels from the nation to the metropolitan area.  Since last Friday, when the national average was $3.62, the Michigan average was $3.74, and the Detroit average was $3.69, the prices have slid slowly down to $3.61 for the U.S., $3.66 for Michigan, and $3.65 for Detroit. All of those prices are below the expected national average for the current price of Brent Crude, $3.72 for gas refined from oil costing $115.26.  Gas is fairly priced, given the inflated cost of oil from the Syrian fear premium.

Speaking of the Syrian fear premium, WNWO had David Seeger, President of Great Lakes Credit Union on to explain it and its effect in Gas prices flux during Syrian conflict.*

Money Monday's report reviews market speculation on oil availability.

$8/tank is the average increase in price due to the fear premium.  That's a useful statistic.

*Seeger should look familiar. He was featured in two videos I embedded in WNWO examines the shrinking middle class.

Hot: Storms usher in heat wave for month's end

It's time to take a break from climate change to examine a related topic, weather.  Despite the generally mild temperatures most of the season, summer is ending here just like it began and again in July, with a heat wave.  WXYZ has the forecast for Detroit through Labor Day in Warm, Muggy & Damp Start.


It's even warmer down south in Toledo, as WNWO reports in Heat and humidity return as we head into the weekend.


Heat isn't the only way that summer is going out with a bang here.  Last night, winds knocked down trees to the northwest.  WXYZ shows its viewers how badly in Storms cause damage in Brighton area.

People in Genoa Township are cleaning up after storms caused major damage to the area's trees.

I used to shop in Genoa Township while living in Whitmore Lake and working in Howell, so this hits home for me.  I'm glad my wife and I only got rain, as we've had enough of this kind of weather this summer already.

That's it for the weather report.  Stay tuned, as I'll have more climate news tomorrow.  In the meantime, stay cool!

WNWO examines the shrinking middle class

As I mentioned in WNWO talks blackout, I'm showing my environmental science classes The End of Suburbia this week.  WNWO inspired me to link to Still hot enough for you? in which I answered one of my questions about the 2003 blackout.*  WNWO has inspired me to answer yet another of my questions from the worksheet to "The End of Suburbia."

12. What effects would Peak Oil have on the U.S. economy? Do these predictions sound familiar today?

The answer comes from Kenneth Deffeyes, as quoted in a review of the movie at Amazon.com.

What would it be like to live after the Hubbard Peak with world oil declining?  I have this list of things: seven trillion dollars lost out of the U.S. stock market, two million jobs lost in the United States, federal budget surplus - gone, state budget surpluses - gone, the middle class disappearing.

That was the quote that inspired me to show this movie to my classes.  I watched the short, updated version of the video online in 2008, when everything that Deffeyes listed in 2003 had already taken place and was about to get even worse.  More money was lost out of the stock markets and more jobs were lost then even Deffeyes had imagined.  Now, all that money and then some has returned to the market, but a lot of those jobs are still absent, and the middle class is indeed declining.

As if on cue, WNWO posted two videos today explaining why the middle class was languishing.  The station began with Part 1: Reasons why middle-class is shrinking.


The statistics are impressive and not in a good way.  At least the three top reasons the guest gave for decline of the middle class are ones I'd agree with, even if the male anchor comes off as a right-wing shill.  He continued in Part 2: Reasons why middle-class is shrinking.


This segment added underemployment to income inequality and the replacement of middle-income jobs with low-income ones.  The rest are generally about how the middle class lost out relative to the well-off, who were able to seize the investment opportunities presented during the past five years, although the high price of college reduces opportunities for young people to advance and high gas prices, like high food prices, erode disposable income.  As for the male anchor, he's still a conservative shill.

*For more answers to some of the rest of the questions, I recommend my students surf over to Sustainability through the looking glass with Jeff Wattrick of Wonkette.  There I give answers to questions 1, 2, 4, and 5 and link to blog entries with answers for 8, 9, 18, 29, and 30.  As for the rest, they'll have to watch the movie.

WNWO talks blackout

Next week, I'm showing my environmental science classes The End of Suburbia.  One of the questions I ask is about the blackout of 2003.

8. Summarize the size, causes, and effects of the blackout of August 2003; include how peak usage contributed to the crisis.

One of the key points the late Matthew Simmons made in the movie was that the blackout of 2003 was a dress rehearsal for a collapse, but Americans and Canadians didn't learn a thing from it.  He might be right, as WNWO asked yesterday Could black-out of 2003 happen again?

Hot and humid days increase the risk of a blackout like the one in 2003.

The video helps answer the question I asked almost as well as the film; peak usage during the late afternoon contributed to the crisis from all the air conditioners running.

As for how this might play out, I'll quote what I wrote during the 100-degree-days of July 2011, the hottest July on record for Detroit.

Finally, this heat wave and the associated health problems and power outages have become another teachable moment for me. I showed my students "The End of Suburbia" this week and one of the events described in that movie was the 2003 blackout that happened during a heat wave. The late Russell Simmons mentioned that the power grid was most vulnerable between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM on hot days because all three sets of customers, residential, commercial, and industrial, were online at the same time. According to one of my students, the power went out in Ferndale at 5:00 PM on Wednesday. He had watched "The End of Suburbia" the day before and he recalled what Simmons said. Well, that's one way to learn a lesson--the hard way!

Sinkhole and infrastructure become issues in Toledo election

I ended Sinkhole in Toledo provides teachable moment with the moral of the story.

Toledo may not have learned anything from Detroit's experience, but my students got the message that this kind of thing is what happens when infrastructure is neglected.

Toledo appears to be learning that lesson, as the sinkhole has become an election issue.  WNWO has the story in Mayoral candidates talk sinkhole, city infrastructure.

Toledo mayoral candidates takes shots at the current mayor for his handling of the city.

In the struggle between austerity and sustainability that I think defines politics and policy now, it looks like events are pushing Toledo in the direction of sustainability.  I hope the winning candidate doesn't forget that lesson after the election.

WNWO on tonight's severe weather

Here is the first of two updates to Severe weather and possible derecho in the Midwest today, this one featuring coverage from WNWO in Toledo on the developing severe weather.

This morning, the station gave an overview of the situation with a forecast covering not only tonight's storm and its aftermath tomorrow, but a long-range forecast extending ten days out in Severe weather watch for June 12.


This evening, the updated forecast indicated that everything predicted for today has so far come to pass in Strong storms likely tonight.


All of the above is pretty much looking into the future for Toledo.  The next installment will carry the coverage from WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, where the weather is already upon them.

Severe weather and possible derecho in the Midwest today

The Weather Channel posted two videos warning of severe thunderstorms along with scattered tornadoes and even a derecho developing this afternoon and evening.  Here's the first: Possible Storms & Tornadoes Wednesday.

Matt Sampson talks with John Erdman about the upcoming severe weather threat.

The other video was even more specific, saying that the thunderstorms could develop into a derecho: Derecho Thunderstorms for Millions.

Digital meteorologist Nick Wiltgen talks to weather.com's Matt Sampson about the concerns people may have over derechoes this week.

The prospect of more comfortable weather in case of blackouts is small comfort.  Still, that would be an improvement over last year's derecho.

So, how are these predictions playing out locally?  While WXYZ hasn't posted any weather forecast videos to their YouTube page, both WNWO-TV and WOOD-TV have.  Both show the area where the thunderstorms will appear and where tornadoes and the possible derecho could develop, which happens to be mostly to the south of metro Detroit.

First, here's WNWO-TV with Strong storms, heavy rain possible Wednesday into early Thursday.


Next, WOOD-TV contributes as part of their regular 11:00 P.M. weather segment.


This promises to be an eventful day of weather to the south of here.  As I'm found of writing, stay tuned.

WNWO-TV adds to local coverage of Russian meteor

In Coverage of the meteor on the local news, I included clips from three of the four local and regional stations I follow on YouTube, WXYZ in Detroit, WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, and WCPO in Cincinnati.  Today, the fourth one, WNWO-TV in Toledo, finally added its take on the event in Local reaction to meteorite dangers.

People's eyes are to the skies following the cosmic collision in Russia when a meteorite blew up in the day time skies on Friday.

This has raised the question of just how safe are we from meteors and asteroids hurdling towards earth.

Adam Mann of Wired details one way of moving Earth-crossing objects so they don't collide with us in How to Deflect Killer Asteroids With Spray Paint

A fresh paint job might be all that’s needed to prevent a giant asteroid from raining destruction upon our planet.

Though strange-sounding, the strategy would make use of a real-world phenomenon known as the Yarkovsky effect, named for the Russian engineer who discovered it in 1902. The effect results from the fact that asteroids heat up as they bask in the sun’s light.

“The coat of paint would be a very thin, almost like a Saran Wrap layer,” said aerospace engineer David Hyland of Texas A&M, who leads a team that has been studying this method for several years. “If we push it in the right direction, we can get the asteroid to cease crossing Earth’s orbit and completely eliminate the threat.”

That qualifies as an answer to the reporter's query about non-Bruce Willis/Deep Impact ways of solving the problem, one I'm all in favor of.  As I wrote over at Kunstler's blog Monday:

There are more ways for civilization to end than resource depletion and pollution, and an asteroid impact is one of them. Just in case modern technological civilization does survive the Long Emergency, preparing for such an event might be a good idea.

Halfway through winter, WXYZ's winter forecast holding up

Last October, I found support for my expectations for winter from WXYZ.

My students have already started asking me what I think of the upcoming winter's snowfall. I've been telling them it will be colder and snowier than last year, but snowfall will be no more than average and probably less. Looks like I got lucky, as the local experts are calling for 35-39 inches of snow, which is less than the average of 42 inches. Just the same, after last winter, even a slightly below average snowfall will seem like a lot of snow.

I haven't seen confirmation for this long-range forecast from WXYZ, but WNWO chimed in the day before yesterday with Snow removal companies running out of time.

A second consecutive winter of less than average snowfall has shuttered a handful of snow removal companies in the Toledo area.

Colder than last year?  Check.  Lower than average snowfall?  Check.  Now all the forecast needs is an early spring to ensure it comes true while still consistent with a warming climate.

Toledo complains about gas price rollercoaster going up

Before I update the local situation, here is what it looks like just over the state line in Ohio, where WNWO-TV reports Gas prices in Toledo up more than 50 cents in the last month.

Several national media companies have reported a connection with last week's fire at the Toledo Refining Plant and an $.11 increase in the last week.

I should be more sympathetic, but I'm not.  As you can see from the conclusion of I was right in less than a day, metro Detroit has already experienced the price hike that Toledo is complaining about and the prices here are higher.

The corner station didn't even wait a full day to take the offensive in the next battle of the gas war, raising the price of regular to $3.75.  That's nearly fifty cents in less than a week!  So far, the stations down the street aren't taking the bait, as they're keeping their prices at $3.49.  I filled up at one of them, as I expect everyone's prices to stabilize at $3.59 or so when this round is over.

It hasn't quite worked worked out that way, but not in a bad way.  All the rest of the stations held their prices at $3.49 until yesterday.  As a result, the corner station dropped its price first to $3.69, then matched its competition at $3.49 on Sunday.  Once again, it lost the battle in the local gas war.

Just the same, my forecast for rising prices still looks good, as all the stations raised their prices to $3.55 today.  It's only four cents to my predicted $3.59.  I bet they can reach that by Friday.