News Feeds

Abdul Semakula

The climate crisis is a listening crisis. We’ve lost the human capacity to hear what the web of life in our places is telling us. A community in Kampala is rebuilding, in an urban context, the cultural infrastructure …

Canada’s energy transition has entered a new phase. Clean technologies are no longer bleeding edge. They are cheap, reliable and scalable. The question is whether key players, policies, and systems can put them to work.For Monica Curtis, our senior...

Last September, a familiar face returned to the Pembina Institute when Tim Weis stepped into the role of senior director of Industrial Decarbonization. His connection to the organization, however, spans more than two decades. Tim first joined the...

Two-thirds of Australian coal mines increased pollution last financial year, highlighting the big coal loopholes of the federal government’s key emissions reductions policy, new data from the Clean Energy Regulator shows. 

Honoring those impacted by the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and persisting against Oil-Dispersant Manufacturers.

April 19, 2026 –– This is the question that Agent Smith, the rogue computer virus bent on destroying the real world, asks the protagonist Neo Anderson who is trying to free humanity from the AI-controlled simulation in the film, “The Matrix.” The answer is at the end of this blog… but take the Red Pill and stick with me here as we dive down the rabbit-hole.

It’s been nearly a year since ALERT and allies filed its noncompliance complaint with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) against four dispersant manufacturers. We find ourselves in an isolated program for storing deviant human minds – revealed as a subway station, called Mobil Ave., an anagram for limbo in the film. Are we trapped? Or will the crumbling code of our government infrastructure find a way out?

Despite lengthy government shutdowns, we find OSHA is still pressing forward with its investigation into whether the four dispersant manufacturers (the Machines) failed to report known or anticipated human health impacts of their products in their Safety Data Sheets, as we claimed in our noncompliance complaint. The OSHA investigation was not deterred by the manufacturers’ blanket denials of any known or anticipated human health impacts from dispersant use. These denials were to be expected – it’s déjà vu!

 

Déjà vu

Déjà vu in the Matrix is a glitch, indicating where the Machines changed something within the simulated reality. So, what changed? The formulations of the deadly Corexit dispersants into more benign products – or so the Machines would have us believe.

After the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon oil-chemical disaster, scientists causally linked a few of the chemical ingredients in Corexit dispersants with long-term harm to multiple body systems across species – dolphins, humans, fish, birds, sea turtles, crabs, and more. Scientists concluded that Corexit dispersants increased the toxicity of oil to humans and wildlife alike. In 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (driven by a citizens’ lawsuit) changed its regulations to limit use of known toxic dispersants like Corexit. This led the Corexit owner to discontinue its product line while three other manufacturers each developed an alternative but chemically similar “new” dispersant product.

How similar? Each “new” dispersant contains at least three of the four common killer ingredients – two contain all four common ingredients – that were causally-linked with toxicity and long-term harm in Corexit. The manufacturer of “EcoSafe” (Dasic USA LLC) even claims its product can be formulated from the global Corexit stockpiles that remain after the Corexit manufacturer discontinued its product line. These three manufacturers want OSHA and us to take the Blue Pill and stay in their simulated reality, that is, to presume these rebranded dispersants can be safely used for oil spill response – so oil drilling can continue unabated. They claim the absence of available or relevant data, regarding health impacts to humans and wildlife, means the products are safe to use.

The oil-chemical industry’s Machines all play by the same glitchy program that reformulates known toxic products into allegedly safe ones. With dispersants, reformulation led to rebranded versions of recombined ingredients. With plasticizer additives in children’s toys and baby bottles, reformulation led to structurally related, chemical alternatives under the same product brand. In the latter case, there are endless structural iterations of, for example, the deadly phthalates and BPA that were banned in the European Union, the U.S. and other countries. These reiterations are all presumed safe until proven otherwise – which, they usually are, but this takes years and resources to do. (https://echochildren.org/)

The dispersant manufacturers didn’t bother with alternatives for the common toxic ingredients. All three “new” dispersants contain the same common deadly ingredients in Corexit. They are rebrands – knockoffs – of the deadly Corexit. Based on the available and anticipated data, these Corexit rebrands cannot be presumed safe.

So Why Do We Persist?

Because we choose to.

ALERT wishes to acknowledge today – the 16th memorial of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil disaster – the hundreds of families across the Gulf Coast and beyond who have lost loved ones or watched them suffer from life-diminishing diseases initiated by exposure to this toxic oil-chemical disaster. We honor the lives of those who passed quickly, like the 11 workers who died in the oil rig explosion, and those who died slowly over the years like oil spill response contractor Frank Stewart. We honor those who presently suffer, like Lori Bosarge, from the deadly reach of this disaster.

We hope OSHA ends this glitch and releases us all from limbo at Mobil Ave. OSHA just needs to take the Red Pill, so they can see the human consequences of all the available data that we supplied in our noncompliance complaint. Those studies are literally based on tens of thousands of human lives and stories. Based on this insight, OSHA can find, as we did, that the dispersant manufacturers are in noncompliance with the Hazard Communication standard. By forcing the manufacturers to admit the potential deadly consequences of their rebranded products, states and decision-makers like the U.S. Coast Guard just might decide not to use these products for oil spill response. Then again, there’s the choice: the red or the blue pill?

In solidarity,
Riki Ott

P.S. In case you are wondering, the Sentinels in this analogy are the mindless, heartless squids that swarm to protect the Machines, also known as the Wealth Defense Industry or the Corporate Defense Industry – the swarm of lawyers, consultants, accountants, and more who get paid millions to shield their clients’ trillions.

Now that science has seen the light, waves of possibility spread out over farm fields and high-tech labs.

A listing of 26 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 12, 2026 thru Sat, April 18, 2026. Stories we promoted this week, by category:

Climate Change Impacts (7 articles)

• Climate change is outpacing evolution. Scientists are using DNA to catch up Phys.org, Annika Hammerschlag, Apr 10, 2026.
• Marine heatwaves `nearly double` the economic damage caused by tropical cyclones Tropical cyclones that rapidly intensify when passing over marine heatwaves can become “supercharged”, increasing the likelihood of high economic losses, a new study finds. Carbon Brief, Giuliana Viglione, Apr 10, 2026.
• ‘Heat Batteries’ Leave Some City Blocks Scorched "Even measures designed to help, like air conditioning, can create vicious cycles that lead to hotter temps." Inside Climate News, Lauren Dalban, Apr 14, 2026.
• ‘Nothing but tree skeletons’: record-breaking wildfires devastate US cattle country "Rising temperatures and extreme drought are driving more destructive spring fires across the American Great Plains. This year, forces aligned to create the perfect storm in Nebraska" The Guardian, Gabrielle Canon, Apr 14, 2026.
• Critical Atlantic current significantly more likely to collapse than thought Scientists say finding is ‘very concerning’ as collapse would be catastrophic for Europe, Africa and the Americas The Guardian, Damian Carrington, Apr 15, 2026.
• Global warming is making the strongest hurricanes stronger Recent studies link human-caused warming to more powerful, more destructive storms worldwide. Yale Climate Connections, Jeff Masters, Apr 15, 2026.
• Wildfires used to 'go to sleep' at night. Climate change has them burning overtime The number of hours in North America when the weather is favorable for wildfires is 36% higher than 50 years ago. The Independent News, Seth Borenstein, Apr 17, 2026.

Climate Policy and Politics (6 articles)

• How the Trump administration`s climate math doesn`t add up There's an old argument that protecting the environment hurts the economy. It's wrong for a lot of reasons. Grist, Kate Yoder, Apr 10, 2026.
• Who Loses in the Trump Administration’s $1 Billion ‘Deal’ to Abandon Offshore Wind? "That would be American ratepayers—i.e., you." Inside Climate News, Jenni Doering, Apr 11, 2026.
• Don’t mention the climate: Trump creates ‘beyond absurd’ situation at global finance talks "Developing countries face possible shelving of crucial green action plan at IMF and World Bank spring meetings" The Guardian, Fiona Harvey, Apr 13, 2026.
• The Treasury Secretary vs. Climate Science In comments on Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent dismissed the scientific consensus on the causes of climate change. New York Times, Lisa Friedman, Apr 14, 2026.
• Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2026 This week's Skeptical Science research scan included 107 new reports by 763 contributing investigators, as well as 11 government/NGO items related to matters of climate change. Skeptical Science, Doug Bostrom & Marc Kodack, Apr 16, 2026.
• US pressure puts World Bank`s climate plan at risk Assiduously working on behalf of Big Oil and not the citizens who elected it, the Trump administration pressures the World Bank to play dumb on climate. Climate Home News, Matteo Civillini, Apr 16, 2026.

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (5 articles)

• Texas Data Center Developers Play Offense on Water, Claiming Huge Cuts in Usage "Ahead of next year’s legislative session, lawmakers probe regulators and industry leaders about how data centers operate." Inside Climate News, Arcelia Martin, Apr 10, 2026.
• To Battle Climate Change, a Baltimore Church Turns to Nature Rising sea level and aging infrastructure pose serious flood risks for coastal US city Baltimore, prompting cooperative efforts by church congregations to help stem the tide. Inside Climate News, Tierra Stone, Apr 17, 2026.
• ‘We are not going back’: Iran war forces global energy shift "Nations split over doubling down on fossil fuels or accelerating renewables." Politico, Sara Schonhardt & Zack Colman, Apr 17, 2026.
• Rainwater harvesting and eco-gardens: how one Colombian neighbourhood helped a whole city plan for climate change From rainwater harvesting to tree nurseries, communities in Medellín are taking steps to increase their landslide and flooding resilience The Guardian, Suzanne Bearne, Apr 17, 2026.
• Thousands of electric vehicles recalled in Australia due to battery fire risk "Hyundai issues local recall due to a fault with battery management software that could cause a fire while car is recharging or parked" The Guardian, Australian AP, Apr 9, 2029.

Climate Law and Justice (2 articles)

• Court Rejects Trump Administration Climate Lawsuit Against Hawaii In a setback for federal efforts to thwart climate litigation, the judge ruled that the suit, which tried to block the state from suing oil companies, was too speculative. New York Times, Karen Zraick, Apr 16, 2026.
• Judge Dismisses Trump Administration’s Bid to Block Hawaii Climate Lawsuit "It was the second defeat for the Trump administration’s unusual litigation to stop states from acting on climate change." Inside Climate News, Marianne Lavelle, Apr 17, 2026.

International Climate Conferences and Agreements (2 articles)

• India walked away from its bid to host COP33 — here's why "India has quietly abandoned its bid to host the UN's top-tier climate conference COP33, marking a shift from PM Narendra Modi's pledge in 2023. Experts and analysts explore what's behind the decision." Deutsche Welle (DW), Murali Krishnan, Apr 14, 2026.
• Tuvalu, tiny Pacific nation at the forefront of climate crisis, to host world leaders before Cop31 summit "Conference president expresses ‘complete faith’ in Chris Bowen to lead tough negotiations" The Guardian, Tom McIlroy, Apr 14, 2026.

Miscellaneous (2 articles)

• 2026 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15 A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 5, 2026 thru Sat, April 11, 2026. Skeptical Science, Bärbel Winkler, John Hartz, Doug Bostrom, Apr 12, 2026.
• The problem with cars in six books "A special selection of books to help you learn everything you need to know about cars and climate change" Yale Climate Connections, Michael Svoboda,, Apr 14, 2026.

Health Aspects of Climate Change (1 article)

• How many people does heat actually kill? You have likely seen a headline like this: 62,000 people died from record-breaking heat in Europe. The Climate Brink, Andrew Dessler, Apr 13, 2026.

Public Misunderstandings about Climate Science (1 article)

• A reflection on reflection Confirmation bias and a profound lack of curiosity mark the latest ABC (Anything But Carbon) contrapalooza in DC this week and a decade-old albedo error trips them up. RealClimate, Gavin Schmidt, Apr 13, 2026.

If you happen upon high quality climate-science and/or climate-myth busting articles from reliable sources while surfing the web, please feel free to submit them via this Google form so that we may share them widely. Thanks!

Registered nurses at St. Joseph Health in Brazos Valley, Texas, will hold a rally on Wednesday, April 22 as they begin negotiations for their first contract, following their decisive vote to form a union last year. Nurses say safe staffing, workplace safety, and a strong voice for nurses will be their top priorities as they start negotiations.

Seeking to rally the troops for his unholy war, Christian nationalist, TV-carnie and war fanboy Pete Kegseth just passed off some vengeful Gospel According to Tarantino as scripture at his (unconstitutional) Pentagon prayer service, and yes we have them now. Added to the "shameless blasphemy" of quoting - without credit - Samuel Jackson's homicidal hitman Jules as "prayer," Pete moronically misses the redemptive point: As he cites the "tyranny of evil men," he, unlike Jules, doesn't friggin' get that he is one.

With their calamitous illegal war continuing to spiral out of control, flailing regime officials are striking out in ever more erratic ways. Nursing his deranged feud with Pope Leo XIV, a vindictive Private Bonespurs - Suffer the little children to own the Pope - abruptly cancelled an $11 million contract with Catholic Charities in Miami to fund a vital, decades-long foster program for migrant children, aka small deadly illegals, who enter the U.S. alone. The result of "an incredibly psychologically harmful" move for already vulnerable kids: "They don't know who or where they are from day to day." Meanwhile, slimy, Bible-and-chest thumping braggadocio Pete is working hard to inflict his own fire-and-brimstone carnage.

Blithely pressing on with a serial slaughter based on evidently "entirely make-believe" grounds, Hegseth killed three more "narco-terrorists," likely fishermen, in the Eastern Pacific last week. It was the third boat bombing in three days - complete with giddy video - in the name of a "narco-trafficking" criminal conspiracy of which, experts say, there is "zero evidence"; they also say the murders have "no impact at all" on America's drug problems. Despite bogus legal theories scrounged up by the regime in an attempt to justify the deaths of at least 177 mostly innocent people, rights advocates note, “'Murder' is the general term for premeditated killings outside of armed conflict."

In the wake of those transgressions and many more, Democrats just filed six articles of impeachment against Hegseth; their lead sponsor, Iranian-American Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari, cited "high crimes and misdemeanors,” including war crimes, abuse of power, and other charges. The bill didn't mention Hegseth's clearly unconstitutional worship services (what separation of church and state?), part of a brazen Christian crusade that faces a lawsuit arguing, "The federal government’s role is to serve the public, not proselytize." Nor does it flag his bloody, unseemly prayers for U.S. troops to inflict “overwhelming violence against those who deserve no mercy."

The impeachment effort also fails to target the movie plagiarism and general dumbfuckery committed by cosplay Hegseth, one of a host of inept imposters in this awful Oceans 11 re-make, in his latest, lamest piece of performance art: Asking Pentagon officials and their families at last week's "Christian" service to bow their heads in prayer for a godless war as he recited scripture from the Book of Ezekiel, or maybe "Caesar" or Samuel or Snakes On A Plane, a prayer he claimed was delivered by the lead planner of the “Combat Search And Rescue” mission that earlier this month rescued two pilots downed in Iran."They call it 'CSAR 25:17,' which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17," he blustered of "the Lord’s word about who we are and how we conduct ourselves...Pray with me please."

With his greasy smirk, he then launched into an almost word-for-word rip-off of the iconic speech by blood-stained hitman and aspiring philosopher Jules Winnfield, played indelibly by Samuel Jackson in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 black comic morality tale Pulp Fiction. Moments later, Jules point-blank executes hapless young Brett, not because he posed any threat or was allegedly developing nuclear weapons, but because Jules is just following orders. Because that's his job. Because each time he kills a stranger in cold blood, he likes to first recite that "prayer," which propitiously helps make him feel powerful, morally upright, cleansed of whatever guilt or grief or questions that might otherwise trouble his sleep.

"The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men," Pete declaimed. "Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherds the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper, and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy One when I lay my vengeance upon thee, and Amen." Some in the audience, presumably moviegoers, chuckled at the source; others looked dutifully, cluelessly solemn as their kids squirmed in boredom. Blessed be the hitmen. Let us prey, indeed.

In reality, of the three passages in Ezekiel 25:17, only the shortest comes close to Pete's/Jules' harangue: "I will execute great vengeance on them with furious rebukes, and they shall know that I am the LORD when I lay My vengeance upon them." Tarantino, a fan of Kung Fu flicks, lifted his own fake version from a 1973 Japanese martial arts film, Karate Kiba, about a Kung Fu vigilante who vows to eliminate the crime-infested drug business in Japan. Hegseth, the guy with Nazi tattoos who lectures people about "Christian values," didn't mention or credit Tarantino, a theft and sacrilege first caught by Baptist minister Brian Kaylor. But no harm no foul: In today's idiocracy, notes Mary Trump, "Who among us has not mistaken the holy words of Tarantino's Pulp Fiction for Biblical scriptures?"

Online, Pentagon shill Sean Parnell acknowledged the prayer was "obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction"; of Pete's failure to note that, he argued, "Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality." The next day, at a briefing on the war, the thin-skinned Hegseth again went off and Biblical on the press, calling their accurate reports on an unpopular war "unpatriotic" and likening the media to the Pharisees: "They were there to witness (but) their hearts were hardened (in) pursuit of their agenda." The whining didn't go over well; America really seems to hate Pete. "The gospel according to St. Jack Daniels. What a dick," they griped, and, "Talibangicals' perverted take on Christianity - Hegseth is literally an anti-Christ. And a rapist."

Mostly, people were pissed at his ignorant appropriation of the much-loved Pulp Fiction for his own base and bloody purposes, declaring, "And you call yourself a white Christian nationalist?" and, "I'd take Samuel Jackson's character over Pete's any day." They wondered if, next time, Pete would add the famed Biblical parable, "You know what they call a quarter-pounder with cheese in Paris?” (Royale.) They argued Pete's "scriptures" should include more "Motherfucker"'s, they offered hilarious video of Jules meeting up with another quivering Brett, they marveled at the idiocy of Hegseth, a bellicose grandstander who didn't understand that, in Jules' bonkers, vengeful "prayer," the speaker is actually the bad guy.

In one of Pulp Fiction's two final scenes, in the diner where the film begins, Jules comes to a belated moral reckoning with himself. He has long justified his bloody past by telling himself (like Pete) he's taking righteous vengeance on the "bad." But earlier that day, after killing Brett, he's "miraculously" untouched by a barrage of gunshots - a survival he attributes to "divine intervention, a sign to re-evaluate his life. Of his ritual recitation, he tells the young thief, “I never gave much thought to what it meant...It was just some cold-blooded shit to say to a motherfucker before I popped a cap in his ass...The truth is, you’re the weak, and I’m the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo, I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd." Drunken, unctuous, preening Pete, who keeps missing the point, should too.

"Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth - Pope Leo X1V

Pendahuluan
Perkembangan teknologi finansial di Indonesia terus menunjukkan tren positif. Masyarakat kini semakin terbiasa menggunakan dompet digital untuk berbagai kebutuhan, mulai dari pembayaran transportasi hingga belanja online. Di tengah perubahan tersebut, penggunaan slot GoPay mulai banyak dibicarakan sebagai salah satu metode transaksi dalam layanan hiburan digital. Kemudahan, kecepatan, dan fleksibilitas menjadi alasan utama meningkatnya minat pengguna terhadap metode ini.

Fenomena ini tidak hanya mencerminkan perubahan gaya hidup masyarakat, tetapi juga menunjukkan bagaimana teknologi mampu mengubah cara orang bertransaksi secara signifikan. Slot GoPay menjadi bagian dari tren yang lebih luas, yaitu integrasi pembayaran digital dalam berbagai platform online.

Pengalaman Pengguna (Experience)
Banyak pengguna mengungkapkan bahwa penggunaan GoPay dalam layanan slot online memberikan pengalaman yang lebih sederhana dibandingkan metode konvensional. Mereka tidak perlu lagi membuka aplikasi perbankan atau melakukan transfer manual yang terkadang memerlukan waktu lebih lama.

Seorang pengguna aktif menyatakan bahwa proses deposit menggunakan GoPay terasa lebih praktis karena semuanya dapat dilakukan dalam satu genggaman. Ia hanya perlu membuka aplikasi, memasukkan nominal, dan menyelesaikan transaksi dalam hitungan detik. Pengalaman ini dinilai sangat membantu, terutama bagi pengguna yang menginginkan kecepatan dan efisiensi.

Selain itu, beberapa pengguna juga menilai bahwa penggunaan dompet digital membantu mereka mengontrol pengeluaran dengan lebih baik. Riwayat transaksi yang tercatat secara otomatis memudahkan mereka untuk memantau aktivitas keuangan secara lebih transparan.

Keahlian dalam Sistem Pembayaran Digital (Expertise)
Dari sisi teknologi, GoPay telah mengembangkan sistem pembayaran yang cukup canggih. Platform ini menggunakan berbagai lapisan keamanan seperti PIN, verifikasi perangkat, hingga notifikasi real-time untuk setiap transaksi. Sistem ini dirancang untuk meminimalkan risiko penyalahgunaan akun dan menjaga keamanan data pengguna.

Dalam konteks slot GoPay, integrasi sistem pembayaran dilakukan melalui teknologi API yang memungkinkan transaksi berlangsung secara instan. Artinya, ketika pengguna melakukan deposit, saldo dapat langsung masuk tanpa perlu menunggu proses verifikasi manual. Hal ini menjadi nilai tambah yang signifikan dibandingkan metode pembayaran tradisional.

Selain itu, teknologi ini juga mendukung skalabilitas, sehingga mampu menangani jumlah transaksi yang besar dalam waktu bersamaan. Dengan demikian, pengguna tetap dapat menikmati layanan tanpa hambatan meskipun terjadi lonjakan aktivitas.

Otoritas dan Tren Industri (Authoritativeness)
Tren penggunaan dompet digital di Indonesia terus meningkat seiring dengan penetrasi internet dan smartphone yang semakin luas. Banyak pelaku industri digital mulai mengadopsi metode pembayaran seperti GoPay untuk menjangkau lebih banyak pengguna.

Pengamat industri melihat bahwa kemudahan transaksi menjadi salah satu faktor utama dalam mempertahankan loyalitas pengguna. Dalam hal ini, slot GoPay menjadi contoh bagaimana inovasi dalam sistem pembayaran dapat memberikan dampak langsung terhadap pertumbuhan platform digital.

Selain itu, beberapa platform juga mulai berkompetisi dalam menyediakan metode pembayaran yang paling efisien dan ramah pengguna. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa peran dompet digital tidak lagi sekadar pelengkap, melainkan menjadi bagian penting dalam ekosistem layanan online.

Kepercayaan dan Keamanan (Trustworthiness)
Kepercayaan pengguna menjadi faktor krusial dalam penggunaan layanan digital, termasuk dalam transaksi slot GoPay. GoPay sendiri telah dikenal sebagai salah satu layanan pembayaran digital yang memiliki sistem keamanan yang kuat. Penggunaan enkripsi data dan sistem autentikasi berlapis membantu menjaga kerahasiaan informasi pengguna.

Namun demikian, pengguna tetap perlu memiliki kesadaran akan pentingnya keamanan digital. Mereka disarankan untuk tidak membagikan kode OTP, menjaga kerahasiaan PIN, serta memastikan bahwa mereka hanya menggunakan platform yang terpercaya.

Selain itu, penting bagi pengguna untuk memahami risiko yang mungkin muncul dalam aktivitas online. Dengan memiliki pemahaman yang baik, pengguna dapat mengambil keputusan yang lebih bijak dan menghindari potensi kerugian.

Dampak terhadap Perilaku Konsumen
Kemunculan slot GoPay juga membawa perubahan pada perilaku konsumen. Pengguna kini cenderung memilih layanan yang menawarkan kemudahan dan kecepatan. Mereka tidak lagi ingin terhambat oleh proses transaksi yang rumit atau memakan waktu.

Hal ini mendorong penyedia layanan untuk terus berinovasi dan meningkatkan kualitas sistem mereka. Dalam jangka panjang, tren ini dapat mempercepat transformasi digital di berbagai sektor, tidak hanya dalam hiburan tetapi juga dalam layanan lainnya.

Tantangan dan Prospek ke Depan
Meskipun memiliki banyak keunggulan, penggunaan slot GoPay juga menghadapi beberapa tantangan. Salah satunya adalah kebutuhan untuk terus meningkatkan edukasi pengguna terkait keamanan digital. Selain itu, regulasi yang mengatur transaksi digital juga menjadi faktor penting yang perlu diperhatikan oleh semua pihak.

Ke depan, prospek penggunaan dompet digital seperti GoPay diperkirakan akan terus berkembang. Inovasi teknologi dan peningkatan infrastruktur digital akan semakin memperkuat posisi metode pembayaran ini dalam kehidupan sehari-hari masyarakat.

Kesimpulan
Slot GoPay menjadi salah satu contoh nyata bagaimana teknologi finansial mampu mengubah cara masyarakat bertransaksi. Dengan menawarkan kemudahan, kecepatan, dan keamanan, metode ini berhasil menarik perhatian banyak pengguna.

Namun, di balik kemudahan tersebut, pengguna tetap perlu bersikap bijak dan waspada. Dengan memahami cara kerja sistem dan menjaga keamanan data pribadi, mereka dapat memanfaatkan teknologi ini secara optimal.

Perkembangan slot GoPay tidak hanya mencerminkan tren sesaat, tetapi juga menjadi bagian dari transformasi digital yang lebih luas. Ke depan, peran dompet digital diperkirakan akan semakin penting dalam mendukung berbagai aktivitas masyarakat modern.

In a time when everything feels heavy — from current events to stretched budgets — one Somerset farm invites visitors to slow down this summer. As their 700-plus lavender plants reach peak bloom each June, the mother‑daughter team behind Woodstock Lavender Farm plans a full slate of events with everything from peaceful teas to a kids’ day, and even a ‘Supper and Stand-up’ comedy show. 

Mary and Allison, “keepers of the lavender,” on their farm

Allison Horseman and her mother, Mary May, first dreamed up the lavender farm nearly 13 years ago. Even as they prepare to welcome more than 2,000 visitors in the coming weeks, Allison took time to talk with me about the story behind the farm. Her grandfather, L.G. Colyer, fought to hold onto the land, though it meant leaving his family to make money to pay for it.  

“He borrowed $600 to buy the farm, but during the Great Depression, he couldn’t make the payments on his loan, so he traveled by train to Detroit to work for two years and sent money home to Kentucky,” Allison said. 

As a result of his hard work, Mary was able to grow up on the farm, and now Allison’s children are the fifth generation to call it home. For decades, the family grew corn and soybeans here, but Allison and Mary always felt the land was meant for something more.  

The Idea Takes Root

One day, while flipping through a cookbook, Mary came across the idea to grow lavender and immediately called Allison. They decided to experiment with 50 plants (“planted completely wrong”) and quickly fell in love with the herb. Each year, they added 50 more plants. Today, they produce a full line of value‑added products, from syrups and jams to pillow sprays and serums, and they host dozens of ticketed events that often sell out within days. 

“My hands are in the same dirt my grandparents and their parents worked with. It’s a feeling you can’t really explain and now, to have thousands of people visit the farm, is really incredible,” Allison said. “We’re showing people that farm and agriculture don’t always have to be corn, beans, and tobacco, it can be something different.” 

She said many guests come just to be on a farm again.  

“So many people are removed from farm life now, but they have roots there through their grandparents or parents. This gives them a way to relive part of their own story.” 

Growing the Business

As interest has grown, so has the farm’s reach. What began as a largely in‑person experience expanded into an online storefront, subscriptions, wholesale relationships, and seasonal events. Managing ticket sales, online orders, subscriptions, and multiple platforms quickly became overwhelming. 

“I created our website and sales platform in 2015, and we had been needing to upgrade for a long time, but we couldn’t come up with the funds to do it the way we needed to. Tickets, subscriptions, and sales were spread across different platforms with and it didn’t work well for us or for our customers.” 

That’s when they reached out to Mountain Association’s Business Support team for help streamlining their systems. 

Working with Hinge Creative, one of Mountain Association’s expert consultants, Woodstock Lavender Farm transitioned its entire online presence and on‑farm point‑of‑sale system to Shopify. They also launched a wholesale portal and implemented an email marketing system to strengthen customer relationships and track data, alongside a three‑month marketing plan. 

“Now, we’ve been able to achieve everything we set out to do. The new site is working well, and we used the new POS system last summer and again during the holidays. It worked great.” 

Just some of the calendar for 2026 lavender season

With those systems in place, Allison and Mary have been able to fine‑tune what they offer on the farm. An extensive customer survey helped guide new events this season, including broom‑making workshops with Shaker Village, expanded lavender festivals featuring 10 to 15 local handmade vendors, and more. A strong theme from the customer feedback was the need for rest and wellness. 

“We’re leaning into that this year,” Allison said. “This is such a serene, peaceful environment and so many people just want to sit and enjoy the day.” 

Woodstock Lavender Farm now employs five seasonal workers and two part‑time staff year‑round. Allison and Mary are also planning to continue working with Mountain Association as they evaluate new ideas and shape their overall business strategy. 

To learn more about the farm or join them for some R and R at their upcoming events, visit https://www.woodstocklavender.com/. 

“As the business has expanded, it’s allowed us to keep sharing our love for agriculture and our family story. When people tell us their own similar stories, it reinforces how important it is to honor your roots.”
– Allison Horseman 

The post How a Mother‑Daughter Team Reinvented their Kentucky Farm with Lavender  appeared first on Mountain Association.

by Kenyon Rupnik
A version of this article was published in the
Independent Coast Observer on April 10, 2026

Chad Watts volunteered his labor and his 40-foot bucket truck to help replace a dead battery in the weather station atop the Gualala Point Regional Park Visitors Center.

Visitors looking up at the Gualala Point Visitors Center will see a weather station on top sitting thirty feet up in the air. The solar powered station is a partnership with Sonoma County Regional Parks and Friends of Gualala River. It has sent local climate conditions to whale watchers, beach goers and kayakers for five years.

Last month the lithium backup battery wore out, signaling that it needed to be changed. It required a simple three-volt battery, but reaching the station was going to be anything but simple.

Chad Watts with his PG&E bucket truck.

Jeanne Jackson asked for help through the Gualala Trading Post, and Chad and Marianne Watts answered. Chad is a “trouble shooter” for PG&E stationed in Point Arena, and he and PG&E volunteered his forty foot bucket truck for the project.

On Friday March 27 he met Gretchen Jay, the park ranger, and Laura Baker and Kenyon Rupnik from Friends of Gualala River at the Visitors Center for unit maintenance and battery change. As the pictures show, Chad is no stranger to heights.

Chad Watts talks with Laura Baker at the Visitors Center.

Hopefully, the new battery will last another five years before needing a change. Gualala’s users of the weather station thank Chad and PGE for his expertise and the equipment that made an otherwise difficult job very easy.

The weather station is a project of Friends of Gualala River, Sonoma County Regional Parks and Further Reach. Gualala Point weather conditions can continue to be viewed at the Friends of Gualala River website. The weather link also has information from other Davis weather stations in the watershed and from real-time PG&E fire camera views.

Photos courtesy of Kenyon Rupnik

Beavers, nature’s furry water engineers, are making a comeback on a major Central Coast waterbody with help from the California Water Boards and a group of dedicated educators and volunteers.

published by California Water Boards, April 8, 2026

Beavers stand on a lodge they made in Mather Lake. Credit- California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Funding from a 2021 settlement agreement between the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is supporting the Drinkable Rivers Program in San Luis Obispo County, a program that puts elected officials, students and others on the water to witness the benefits of beaver dams and ponds.

“The program not only helps the river, wildlife and the environment, it also directly involves the public,” said Ryan Lodge, executive officer of the Central Coast Water Board. “Providing hands-on experience for people who care deeply about the environment builds support for protecting the Salinas River in the long term. Additionally, the settlement with PG&E for water quality violations illustrates how our enforcement actions can both serve as a deterrent and lead to measures that benefit the public and the environment.”

The Central Coast Water Board is one of nine regional boards tasked with overseeing water quality in their watersheds. The regional boards set water quality standards and discharge requirements and take appropriate enforcement actions when necessary.

From pests to protectors

Once viewed as pests, beavers are now recognized for their many ecological benefits and their ability to help revitalize creeks and rivers. Research has shown that beaver dams can boost groundwater levels, improve water quality, provide drought resiliency, support biodiversity and even reduce wildfire risk.

“Beavers are our original river stewards and truly a keystone species; they are worth getting excited about,” said Audrey Taub, executive director of the San Luis Obispo (SLO) Beaver Brigade, a nonprofit dedicated to improving beaver habitat. “We want people to know that beavers can improve climate, drought and wildfire resilience throughout California.”

Targeted by settlers and fur trappers, California and the West’s beaver populations declined sharply in the 1800s. Trappers desired the beavers’ valuable pelts while landowners retaliated against the giant rodents for building dams that slowed stream flow, flooded farmland and disrupted water delivery systems.

North American beaver populations were once pegged as high as 200 million, but after decades of exploitation and eradication, there are only approximately 10-15 million beavers left.

Among many other benefits, beaver dams — such as the one shown here on the Salinas River — can raise groundwater levels by slowing flows, allowing water to pool and seep into groundwater tables. Credit- California Water Boards staff A comeback story

With the help of conservationists and researchers, California beavers’ prospects are improving. In 2023, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife conducted its first beaver conservation release, returning beavers to the ancestral lands of the Mountain Maidu people in Plumas County. More releases have followed across the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

“Thanks to the leadership of our tribal partners and years of preparation, beavers are returning to their original homeland around the state,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023. “California is restoring wildlife and critical habitat by working hand-in-hand with the tribes who have stewarded these lands.”

‘Beaver believers’

Back on the Central Coast, the Beaver Brigade has one hard and fast requirement for its tour participants: they must be willing to get wet.

On a sunny summer morning, the brigade led Central Coast Water Board staff into the Salinas River’s clear and shallow waters. Surrounded by thickets of cottonwoods, willows and other native vegetation, the participants got a close look at beaver dams and ponds on a stretch of the river near the city of Atascadero.

The river is the cornerstone of the Salinas Valley’s productive agricultural industry. Its surface flows and groundwater stores help farmers grow the lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, wine grapes and other crops that have earned the valley the moniker of the nation’s “salad bowl.”

The one-day educational tours, offered in English and Spanish, are free and teach participants to identify signs of beaver activity and how the dams can reduce common aquatic pollutants such as nitrates, phosphates, metals and excess sediments.

“People that go on our tours become beaver believers instantly,” Taub said. “We offer people the chance to be comfortable in a natural setting and see the beauty and wildlife all around the river.”

In addition to tours, the brigade uses grant funding from the Central Coast Water Board’s enforcement activities to support its summer internship course that offers teenagers career preparation skills, including data collection and presentation experience. The program also helps participants prepare for college by facilitating connections with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s College Corps Program.

Enforcement supports environmental work

The Water Boards’ Office of Enforcement plays a key role in protecting water quality, water supply and water availability for present and future generations by providing technical and legal support for enforcement actions across all the Water Boards’ regulatory programs.

Staff from the state and regional water boards work with public water systems, dischargers, and other regulated parties to ensure compliance with applicable laws and permits. Most formal enforcement actions fall into one of two categories: compliance orders and monetary penalties. In fiscal year 2024/25, the Water Boards issued 2,509 informal enforcement actions, 1,293 compliance actions and 209 penalty actions, imposing approximately $29 million in penalties.

In some cases, the Water Boards allow parties to settle their enforcement matters by completing or funding environmentally beneficial projects, including the one that is educating Central Coast residents about the importance of beavers.

To resolve alleged water quality violations at its Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, PG&E agreed to pay $5.9 million to the Central Coast Water Board; the board ultimately allocated $1.2 million from the settlement to the Central Coast Community Based Water Quality Grants Program, which helps fund the Beaver Brigade.

“The funding we receive [from the 2021 PG&E settlement] allows us to broaden whom we can take out to see the re-emerging beaver habitat and educate about the importance of the health of the Salinas River,” Taub said.

Central Coast Water Board staff and board members in front of a beaver dam on the Salinas River during a Beaver Brigade tour. Credit- California Water Boards staff

New Facilitation Team Member landing document Bienvenidx and welcome! We are so pleased that you have joined the Core Facilitation Team, and we look forward to receiving your contribution to our work, and sharing ours with you. To get you started, here is some information about the team and how we work, followed by information on what GTAGTAGTAGTAGTAGTAalternativesGTAalternativesGTAalternativesGTAAlternativestapestryalternativesAlternativesendorsersGTAGTAWeaversGTAAlternativesWeaversGTAWeave…

Each week, Food Tank is rounding up a few news stories that inspire excitement, infuriation, or curiosity.

Development Aid Plummeted in 2025

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), preliminary data show that last year, ODA from member countries and associates of the Development Assistance Committee fell by nearly a quarter compared to 2024.

This is the largest decline in foreign aid in history and it marks the second consecutive year that ODA has fallen. According to the OECD, this means that development assistance is back to where it was when the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was first released.

The United States alone drove the majority of the decline, where ODA fell by nearly 60 percent compared to 2024. Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France are also responsible. Together with the U.S. these countries accounted for more than 95 percent of the total decline in ODA. Bilateral aid—financial assistance given from one government to another—and U.N. funding have been hit the hardest.

Carsten Staur, DAC Chair at the OECD says that the world is seeing the exact opposite of what it needs, stating, “We are in a time of increasing humanitarian needs; strong pressures on the poorest and most fragile countries; and facing growing global uncertainties and massive insecurity. In this situation, the world needs more ODA, not less.”

Low Staffing at USDA Slows Progress on Regenerative Agriculture

Politico reports that staffing cuts in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have left farmers with little to no support as they try to transition to more regenerative practices.

The NRCS has lost more than 2,500 workers—over a fifth of its staff across the country. That’s the second-highest number of any branch at the USDA, which has suffered more than many government agencies. According to an analysis from Inside Climate News, the entire federal government saw a 12 percent reduction in its workforce since President Trump took office, but the USDA lost 21 percent of its staff.

The shortage at NRCS means fewer program applicants, fewer approvals, and more payment delays for conservation work. Gabe Averson, a beef and grain producer in Minnesota, described his local NRCS office as “a ghost town.” And when talking about an employee in his region’s NRCS office, he said they are “spread so thin that they can’t even think straight.”

Other farmers say that they have had to wait weeks to receive basic information on farming practices and grant programs, which has impeded their ability to move forward with conservation projects on their land.

At the end of last year, the USDA announced a US$700 million pilot program to scale regenerative agriculture. At the time, advocates such as Sarah Starman of Friends of the Earth expressed concern that the program can only be effective if the USDA reverses their cuts to conservation staff.

Now producers like Averson, who is a member of the pilot, see why. He says that he has been waiting three or four months “just to get the basic information” about it.

Rwanda’s Capital Takes Steps to Protect Farmland, Scale Urban Agriculture

The city of Kigali is taking steps to protect farmland from development, the Associated Press reports.

Land data from the mayor’s office reveal that the city plans to dedicate 22 percent of land to agriculture. In September, the government began mapping agricultural land and they soon plan to deploy drones for real-time monitoring as they track any developments encroaching on farmland and forests.

Authorities say that they understand that housing construction is attractive, but projects show “farming will be even more productive,” especially at a time when demand for food is rising and the country’s population is growing.

To encourage local production, city developers are also requiring that developers seeking building permits, include green spaces and gardens in their designs.

Richard Bucyana, an agronomist, says that he wants to see African governments “start thinking how they can be self-sustainable.” He and other young agronomists are training farmers to embrace technologies like hydroponics to get around limited land access and maximize productivity.

Bangladesh Launches New Scheme to Boost Agricultural Productivity for Small Farmers 

This week, the Banladeshi government launched a “Farmers’ Card” scheme, which is designed to support the country’s farmers and help modernize the agricultural sector. The initiative is focused on small farmers, including sharecroppers who often lack access to banks or other forms of institutional support.

During the official launch event Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said, “If farmers of this country are well-off, if the ​farmers of this country survive, then the whole of Bangladesh will do ​well and the people of entire Bangladesh will live well.”

Developed with guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture and in collaboration with Sonali Bank PLC, the card integrates identification with digital payment capabilities, helping farmers access government services and benefits more efficiently, according to a press release.

Those registered in the program will receive access to subsidized fertilizers and seeds, agricultural machinery, low-interest loans, crop insurance, and advisory services.

Shawkat Ali Khan, Managing Director and CEO of Sonali Bank PLC says that the initiative is “strengthening how financial support is delivered to farmers across Bangladesh.”

The scheme is beginning with a pilot project that includes more than 22,000 farmers. It will then be rolled out in phases over the next five years. By the end, the government hopes to reach all 27.5 million farmers in the country.

U.S. Makes Progress on Food Waste

ReFED’s 2026 U.S. Food Waste Report reveals that in 2024, total surplus food decreased to 70 million tons, representing a 2.2 percent reduction from 2023 levels. That’s equal to a 3.7 percent decrease per capita.

ReFED finds that households are helping to drive this progress. Residential food waste fell by nearly 950,000 tons. This is the first year-to-year reduction in food waste since there was a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic, which the organization calls “a significant milestone in the movement to reduce food waste.”

At a time when eaters are looking for ways to stretch their dollars, Dana Gunders, President of ReFED says, “this is an opportune moment to focus on wasting less food…The wind is at our backs, and it’s time to step on the gas.”

ReFED’s report also digs into the food waste solutions that are working — like centralized composting and smaller portion sizes — and why they’re so impactful. It also outlines opportunities such as legislation and AI that can be unlocked to drive progress even further.

Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of Kabiur Rahman Riyad, Unsplash

The post Food Tank’s Weekly News Roundup: Development Aid Plummets, Rwanda Protects Farmland, Bangladesh Launches New Farmers’ Card appeared first on Food Tank.

Bellona’s new Nuclear Digest for February is out now and catalogs a number of mounting pressures on Russia’s global nuclear footprint. From stalled projects in Europe to rising strategic risks after the collapse of arms control agreements, the events of last month show a more fragmented and less predictable nuclear landscape. Among other things, our analysis shows three important fault lines: Hungary’s Paks-2 project, Europe’s struggle to replace Russian nuclear components, and the consequences of the expiration of the New START Treaty. 

Hungary’s nuclear build: ‘A sanctions meat grinder’ 

Hungary’s Paks-2 nuclear power plant, built by Russia’s Rosatom, reached a symbolic milestone with the pouring of first concrete. But behind the ceremony, Bellona expert Dmitry Gorchakov writes that the project is under strain. 

He says the milestone comes years late—and under difficult conditions. What was once planned for 2022 has only now begun, delayed by a combination of regulatory and geopolitical obstacles. More fundamentally, Gorchakov says, the project has become entangled in sanctions pressure. 

“Paks-2 has fallen into a ‘sanctions meat grinder,’” according to Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev, Gorchakov notes, placing it alongside other delayed Rosatom projects facing similar constraints.  

The breakdown of cooperation with Siemens Energy illustrates the problem. Export licensing restrictions from Germany halted delivery of key control systems, forcing Rosatom to seek replacements. While Russian or European alternatives are being discussed, their availability and compatibility remain uncertain. 

Our analysis suggests that Paks-2 is no longer just an infrastructure project. It is a geopolitical balancing act. Hungary’s continued cooperation with Rosatom stands in contrast to broader European efforts to reduce reliance on Russian nuclear technology, leaving the project exposed to political and economic turmoil. 

At the same time, in light of the results of the April 12 elections in Hungary and the departure of Viktor Orbán’s government, the position of the new Hungarian authorities toward this project may change in the near future and become less favorable. 

Kozloduy: ‘much harder than it seems’ to switch parts 

If Paks-2 shows the impact of sanctions on new projects, Bulgaria’s Kozloduy plant reveals how difficult it is to disentangle existing systems from Russian supply chains. 

Attempts to replace Russian-made components with local alternatives led to repeated shutdowns of one reactor unit, after newly installed parts failed. The episode underscores the risks of rapid substitution in highly specialized systems. 

The situation “shows how difficult it can be to find replacements for all supplies from Russia and fully abandon them,” Gorchakov writes.  

The challenge, he argues, is deeper than many policymakers assume. Europe’s dependence extends far beyond nuclear fuel to include niche components with limited or nonexistent alternative suppliers. “Many such parts are harder to replace simply because there is no market for them,” he adds.  

This creates a dilemma for Soviet-built nuclear plants in Europe—continue limited cooperation with Russian suppliers or invest in developing new production capacity. We suggest that a coordinated European approach may be necessary, including joint programs to manufacture replacement components for Soviet-designed reactors. Without such efforts, the transition away from Russian technology risks introducing new operational vulnerabilities, particularly in aging plants undergoing life-extension programs. 

The end of the New START only the latest treaty abandoned 

Beyond civilian nuclear energy, Bellona warns that strategic stability is also eroding. The expiration of the New START Treaty removes one of the last remaining frameworks for nuclear arms control between Russia and the United States. 

In recent years, Gorchakov notes, there has been “a gradual abandonment of long-standing agreements in the field of nuclear arms control,” accompanied by rising nuclear rhetoric and renewed military signaling.  

The Arctic is emerging as a key area of concern. Home to Russia’s Northern Fleet and a large share of its nuclear arsenal, the region is already heavily militarized. Without treaty limits, Gorchakov warns, there are few constraints on further expansion. 

“Only political will can restrain Russia from potentially increasing its nuclear arsenal in the Arctic,” Gorchakov says.  

According to Bellona’s estimates, Russia could relatively quickly increase the number of deployed warheads on existing naval platforms, adding roughly 100 more without major technical hurdles. The loss of transparency and verification mechanisms raises the risk of miscalculation, with implications far beyond the Arctic. In our analysis, this marks a broader weakening of the global nuclear order. 

A System Under Strain 

Taken together, these developments point to a nuclear sector under growing stress. Projects like Paks-2 are slowed by sanctions and political friction. Existing plants like Kozloduy struggle with the legacy of technological dependence. And at the strategic level, the collapse of arms control agreements is increasing uncertainty. 

Bellona’s experts see these trends as interconnected. The same geopolitical tensions reshaping energy supply chains are also undermining long-standing security frameworks. Read about these developments and many more in our new Nuclear Digest.  

The post ‘Sanctions meat grinder,’ fragile supply chains, and nuclear risk—the February Nuclear Digest shows growing strains appeared first on Bellona.org.

The failure to advance A.B. 1900 shows a lack of leadership and a capitulation to corporate health care interests. CalCare is a comprehensive, high-quality single-payer program that would be many Californians’ only lifeline for care. Nurses remain relentless in their pursuit to guarantee health care as a human right in the state.

One nurse’s experience running for township trustee reveals how local governance shapes water, land, and community health.

Ann M. Stalter, PhD, RN, M. Ed. | Professor | Wright State University |College of Health, Education, and Human Services | School of Nursing, Kinesiology, and Health Sciences

Key Takeaways to Consider

• Local government decisions shape health. Land use, infrastructure, and environmental stewardship affect air quality, water systems, food security, and climate resilience.
• Governance is a nursing practice setting. Nurses can bring population health expertise to planning boards, township meetings, and elected leadership roles.
• Planetary health leadership starts locally. When nurses participate in governance, prevention and environmental protection become part of community decision-making.

One evening not long ago, I stood outside a local polling place explaining something unusual to voters.

“You have to write my name in.”

I was running as a write-in candidate for Township Trustee, something this nurse never imagined doing. But as I explored planetary determinants of health, I realized: 

Decisions shaping community health are often made by local governments, not in hospitals.

Long before someone develops asthma, cardiovascular disease, or heat-related illness, local governments have already shaped the environment where they live. Decisions about land use, water systems, infrastructure, and development influence air quality, food systems, transportation patterns, and climate resilience. Yet nurses aren’t present to influence decisions. Running for office became an extension of health promotion. 

You might ask, “What does the township government have to do with health?”

Township governments make decisions about land use, agriculture, infrastructure, stormwater, and public resources. Each affects air, water, food systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience– planetary determinants of health.

When farms are replaced with sprawl, communities experience cascading impact—more traffic emissions, flood risk, and reduced food production. Participating in these decisions is prevention and health promotion.  

In my township, development pressure is increasing rapidly. Residents voiced their concerns– a farmer worried about losing land, and a mother about speeding traffic. Yet these concerns were not systematically translated into policy. Planning discussions included consultants, government staff, but lacked meaningful  community engagement. As a nurse, I recognized a familiar pattern: 

Policy decisions were being made without a comprehensive community assessment.

Listening to communities, identifying shared values, and translating evidence into action are core nursing skills and essential to governance.

Land as a Public Health Issue

Nurses understand that health is shaped long before clinical care is needed. Land use decisions determine access to nutritious food, safe activity, toxins exposure, and climate resilience. Local officials make these upstream decisions daily. Nurses bring a prevention lens that guides equitable, sustainable, and healthy outcomes.

My Story: Nursing Praxis in Action

Running as a write-in candidate required persistence and listening. At the same time, nursing students conducted a community assessment to inform land-use planning. Students completed surveys, observations, and interviews. Their role was assessment, not advocacy.

Two concerns surfaced repeatedly: Groundwater and Traffic Safety. Residents worried about wells running dry and aquifer contamination. In rural areas, aquifers take decades to recover. Residents also described fatal crashes involving teenage drivers on roads lacking safety improvements. 

Students also identified priorities such as agricultural preservation, responsible growth, and environmental sustainability. Their findings demonstrated how local governance can serve as a real-world setting for nursing practice.

Why Should Nurses Participate in Local Governance?

Nurses bring a perspective often missing in decision-making. Our training emphasizes prevention, population health, environmental exposure, and equity across generations. Participating in governance allows nurses to move beyond advisory roles and directly influence community health outcomes.

Protecting farmland, planning sustainable development, and investing in resilient infrastructure are forms of public health prevention. These choices help preserve food systems, reduce exposure, protect biodiversity, and strengthen climate resilience. 

Nurses can advance planetary health at the local level.

You don’t have to run for office to begin engaging in governance. Nurses can start by:

1. Attending local government meetings,
2. Serving on planning commissions or advisory boards,
3. Bringing public health evidence into policy discussions,
4. Supporting community health assessments, and/or
5. Considering appointed or elected leadership roles.

Local governments need leaders who understand how environmental decisions affect population health.

Author Reflection

Running for township trustee reshaped my view of nursing. It made clear that health is shaped by land, water, and local decisions. Listening to residents revealed governance and care intertwine, showing politics is an extension of nursing practice. Township planning reflects prevention, ethics, and community voice. If planetary health begins locally, nurses belong in spaces where those decisions are made.

This blog reflects my professional experience and perspectives; I used an AI tool for drafting support and to assist with word count reduction, organization, clarity, and grammar.

Bio 

Nurse leader and advocate for planetary health, this author is a full professor at Wright State University School of Nursing and Co-Chair of the Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE) Research Committee. Her work integrates population health, environmental stewardship, and community engagement, emphasizing the role of local governance in shaping health outcomes and advancing sustainable, community-centered nursing practice. Contact: drannmariestalter@gmail.com or ann.stalter@wright.edu

The post Planetary health is local: Why nurses belong in township meetings appeared first on ANHE.

On April 8, dairy producers and advocates from CalCAN and the California Dairy Campaign met with more than twenty legislative offices...

The post Dairy Producers Show Policymakers that AMMP Funding is Critical to Meeting Methane Reduction Goals and Staying Viable in California appeared first on CalCAN - California Climate & Agriculture Network.

Cameron Steinback has taken a long journey from beginning his career as a teacher to Climate Justice Program Manager for Front and Centered in Washington State. In late 2025, he found himself in a data-center roundtable convened by Washington state Governor Bob Ferguson. It was an “experience” for someone who still considers himself new to the policy landscape. 

The following is from our conversation on January 15th, 2026. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

~

Mark Chavez

How did you get from Hayward, California to being the Climate Justice Program Manager of a nonprofit in Seattle? 

Cameron Steinback

I have always enjoyed and been encouraged to try and do many things from sports to various educational and artistic activities. That was something that was instilled by family members and my elders: from horseback riding and Black rodeo shows to museums and science centers, and enjoying the mountains up in the Sierra Nevada and the beaches and coastlines in California. 

So when I chose my educational pursuits, science, exploring and understanding the natural world were definitely motivating factors. Through my undergraduate work and my first professional experiences, a lot of them centered around schools and working with young people because I had so many great experiences being out and learning in those spaces, being shaped by those educators in the classroom as well as in those outdoor learning environments just instilled the love and appreciation for those people and places. 

At the same time, I have also very much taken pride in the movements that Black folks have shaped on this continent for generations upon generations. From a very early age, going to MLK marches in the Bay Area, being exposed and understanding what my parents’ generation lived and experienced as teenagers and adults during the Black Power movement, and being proud of my connection to that history gave me the confidence to go out into a lot of new and different spaces and places. So with all of that, education became a natural place for me. I worked in public schools  in Oakland, California, and Atlanta, Georgia, in the first part of my teaching career. From there I transitioned to teaching in museums and science centers in the Bay Area. The last focus was on doing ocean conservation, marine mammal and climate change education to everyone from kindergarteners up to university students from different parts of the country. 

I came to Seattle after that because I wanted to take my next step in my educational career. I wanted to see what else could unfold. And through the excitement and joy that I get from teaching young people, I built up enough skill that I was like, “How can I shape the next educators?” How can I continue to build upon the joy and the experience of teaching and connecting people to the parts of the world that sustain us, that let us thrive, and speak to the inequity of people’s access to and relationship with healthy environments, or the burdens of climate change on Black, brown, and poor folks all over the world. I wanted to take that next step, and [think about] how I could shape educators. So I came to Seattle for a graduate program at Antioch University concentrating on urban environmental education, which at that time was a confluence of so much of what I cared about, learning about environmental justice and climate justice, with education as a tool for community agency and civic action, [I was thinking] how do we take our knowledge and understanding to actually continue to shape the world into the place that we want and to need it to be. 

From that graduate school experience, I got experience working with a land-use policy organization. I never thought of policy as part of what would be my professional pathway. But by virtue of the kind of things that I ended up doing next, which was working with an environmental education organization here in Seattle, creating new science-based curriculum, that did not just focus on the science, but tied it to the narratives of people and social movements for climate justice. 

We cannot solve environmental issues without solving social issues. They’re intertwined, they’re interconnected, and the solutions lie in how we grapple with both. 

I started seeking out roles and positions where I could continue to leverage my educational skills and build upon my policy knowledge, and it just so happened that Front and Centered was looking for a climate justice program manager. I read the description, read the kind of policy sphere in which Front and Centered works and operates. I recognized the value of community education, community activation, it’s a key part of how they do that work. I’m like, yeah, I’m an educator. I can do that stuff. I don’t have the deep policy experience, but I’m just going to put my name in the hat because you’ve got to give yourself a shot. You’ve got to give yourself a chance.

MC

If you went back to Hayward and you ran into somebody you haven’t seen in decades, how would you describe Front and Centered to them? 

CS

I’d describe it in a lot of the same ways that I’ve described it in Washington. Front and Centered is an organization that aims to advance climate and environmental justice in Washington State, in part by supporting a statewide coalition of organizations that represent and serve “frontline communities.” That means the people who are most impacted by environmental harm and policymaking, the people who are hit first and worst by the impacts of climate change. These communities are literally at the front and center of the work we do to undo those harms and create a just future. Whatever the ways in which that happens – from creating and making policy, to holding state agencies and government accountable, to creating resources for folks to continue to be activated and working for justice in their communities – frontline communities are the ones to shape it.

MC

What are some of the key issues that Front and Centered is focused on moving into 2026? 

CS

One key legislative focus is the CURB Pollution Act and how we are taking the cumulative risk burden (CURB) of pollution that frontline communities already face and using that information to create clear boundaries in terms of where new polluting industries can and cannot go. We recognize that frontline communities have borne an inequitable, disproportionate measure of that pollution for far too long—a burden they shouldn’t have borne in the first place—and that no new polluting facilities should be permitted in or near those communities. That’s a very general summary of what the CURB Act is. 

We are advocating heavily and strongly for measures for affordability, specifically a bill to create a statewide energy assistance program, HB 1903 (Update: this bill was passed and signed into law on March 30th!). This new energy bill assistance program supplements existing programs run by utilities, and we hope will be a step closer to closing the assistance need gap. Energy costs are rising for everyone, for a lot of reasons, and we believe every person has a right to enough energy to thrive while not continuing to burden low-income households. And there’s a lot of other laws that need to be enacted to ensure we protect rate payers from continued increases as we make an energy transition. 

MC

You straddle these two places, where you grew up in the Bay Area and now Seattle, that have such deep ties to the tech industry. But as you mentioned ratepayer burden, I’m curious if you can share a little bit about the recent boom of data centers and AI and how you all have seen that unfolding in Washington. 

CS

There are so many things to talk about when it comes to artificial intelligence, data centers specifically, and probably the most important place to start is right at the resource consumption of these new facilities. The first interest for us for Environmental and Climate Justice: is there harm being done where these facilities are being sited. And that goes to the way in which Washington State has a permitting system set up. Is there appropriate and enough transparency, and access to assistance for communities to really understand what these permits are saying and what’s being put in, before the cranes and construction start moving in? The resource consumption of electricity, these things take a significant amount of energy every single day. Here in Washington, we are committed to a clean energy transformation, which is to move to an electricity supply free of greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. So at the same time we’re coming off of fossil fuels, we’re also increasing demand for electricity in which we need a continued rollout of renewable energy supply. There’s a pinch that happens in there. As utilities need to build out and update infrastructure, they can recoup some of those costs on rate payers. But if rate payers aren’t the driving force behind the demand, that’s an equity issue, right? We need to ensure that data centers are paying not just their fair share, but more explicitly paying for all of the new energy and new interconnection that their demand is pushing. 

Another important resource is, of course, water. Water has been and it’s going to continue to be, such an important Environmental Justice concern. The way in which water rights are established and distributed, to the ways dams and hydroelectric power blocks divert and impact fish passage, causes me quite a bit of concern 

I apologize if that feels like a little bit of a word salad, but there’s so many things that are going on in there. The first and foremost is protecting those resources from the exploitative nature of industry. Industry is going to find the best way to make it profitable for themselves and make the protection of people, lands, and waters optional. Let’s make sure those protections are first, front and center. 

MC

You were part of a six month data center working group convened by Washington’s Governor Bob Ferguson. How was that? What happened?

CS

That was an experience, as a person being new to the policy and political landscape. And for context, I’ll probably call myself new at this for the next five years. (laughing)

MC

Welcome.

CS

It was an important space for us to be at the table. Our coalition is concerned about Environmental and Climate Justice in all the ways that it shows up. So we recognize this is a place that is important, and we’re grateful for the invitation from the governor’s office to participate. 

It was the full spectrum of folks interested and involved in data centers. Everybody from people invested in the data center consortium, the lobby of folks who want to ensure that they have the best incentives and least amount of hindrance to their business model, to Google and Amazon Web Service, to electeds here in Washington state, to other groups that prioritize the public interest and environmental concerns, including folks representing the Yakama Nation were there as well. So a lot of people, right, at and around that table. And the charge, the responsibility given to this work group was to provide recommendations to the governor’s office around what could and should be done, as this was an emerging issue for Washington State and nationally. 

There are incentives for data centers that are already in Washington state law, in the form of tax incentives. So there was a subgroup focused on economic landscape of the data centers in Washington. The other subgroup focused on resource and environmental issues related to data centers. With two subgroups: one focused on tax,revenue, and economics, and the other one focused on resource and environmental concerns there was a lot to cover and an accelerated timeline over six months – with the facilitators’ charge to get recommendations done by the end of October 2025. 

So many questions were brought up. The pace was accelerated in ways in which it was hard to be confident that we would arrive at clear recommendations to the governor’s office that would alleviate a lot of the concerns, at least a lot of the concerns that came up from the folks who were working in the public interest and those butting against what kind of new restrictions that could or should be put in place, and have those restrictions immediately challenged by folks working on the pro data center side. 

One point that was explored was if data centers are receiving tax incentives, should those incentives be tied to certain efficiency mandates and what kind of energy was being brought onto the system? It is an imbalance that we incentivize industries that are straining our grid and potentially bringing non-renewable sources to the grid when we have a net zero law that requires us to reduce emission by 2045, 2050?

What eventually came out in the recommendations were not as bad as I felt going into the process. The findings established that there was need for clear guidelines from the legislature, more powers to the Utilities and Transportation Commission, and utilities to be able to set appropriate kinds of rates for these new large loads, to the transparency of the kind of connections that were being asked for from data centers. 

Right now, what’s being worked on for this legislative session are a couple of bills to clarify some of the things, to put in place some transparency, put in place some restrictions, so that if and when new data centers do come online, they’re not creating harm, and they’re in line with our commitments as a state to a clean energy transition. And of course, we’d like to see and ensure communities have a lot of say and control ultimately of where these facilities are built and the kind of benefits that can come from them. We’re in the 21st century, artificial intelligence is a tool. How significant a tool it’s going to continue to be is to be determined. I’m old enough to have enough awareness of the dot-com boom of the 90s and this industry is known for booms and busts. And it would be horrible if we as a state continue to allow a proliferation of these data centers in communities with a lot of flashy, maybe potentially short-term benefits, but long-term we could be left holding the bag. (Update: Through the 2026 short legislative session, a coalition of organizations led by the NW Energy Coalition worked hard to pass HB 2515, which would have brought comprehensive regulation on data centers in Washington state. It did not pass, but the process illuminated the challenges of such legislation and the determination to come back stronger in 2027.) 

MC

Were there any points that the people in favor of data centers brought to the table that you thought to yourself, “wow, I hadn’t thought of it that way?”

CS

When I talk about an idea that any new data center or new large load facility needs to bring its own clean energy. Right? So, that can look a lot of different ways from they’re paying for new infrastructure to go right here in Washington for the energy grid, or they get permission to build their own facility behind the meter to power themselves directly, or they go into a power purchase agreement to get power from Oregon or Montana or Idaho or something like that. 

And the part in that I hadn’t thought about, or it was like tying into all the different threads, was the thinking okay, so yeah, say they go into a power purchase agreement, who’s to say that power is not coming from a coal plant? or who’s to say that, say it is a renewable facility, but they may be operating under unfair labor practices, right now there’s not a collective bargaining agreement happening in that part of the country. You know, are we offloading the issue to someone else just to meet our goals? 

That was the piece I was like yeah, the Northwest power infrastructure, and where it all comes from, where it all is all sourced is complex and takes dedication to really understand the current needs and in capacities to how it’s maintained and upgraded for this new century. 

MC

Oh, there’s so much. I feel like we could keep going on this forever. I have a curveball. Do you still ski? 

CS

I do. I still consider myself a skier. It’s happening less and less for a number of reasons. You know, age. I put in my miles when I was young, so I’ve got early onset arthritis. But it’s become really prohibitively expensive for most folks. I could, but it’s so far from what I was able to grow up with, I was part of a great Black national ski club. I still love the sport. I invested in a lot of it. Yeah, I still ski. Sorry, that was a long answer

MC

Do you want to go up someday? I snowboard, but I won’t hold it against you that you’re a skier.

CS

Oh yeah for sure. I’d be down.

MC

What else do you do for fun? 

CS

Science fiction, short stories. I love short stories. For the past four years I’ve particularly been focused on Black, indigenous, people of color authors. First, it’s great, amazing creativity that I’ve always loved. Also the ways in which folks bring their culture and their own stories that have been passed down into these new ways of expression. Let’s see, let’s see. 

I made a commitment last year to learn to play the banjo. I’ve been inspired by different banjo musicians and how they’ve talked about the history of that instrument being a unique instrument of the Black diaspora in the Caribbean and the Americas, and how that’s been transformed throughout history. And there’s some great folks in Oakland and North Carolina, doing some really cool reclamation of that instrument. And then the cultural music that has been muddled by minstrelry, right? There’s a whole beautiful musical tradition and culture that was appropriated and turned into minstrelry. And so that’s why the banjo is associated with that, but it’s transcendent, it goes way, way before all that. So I’m enjoying learning to play the banjo. 

And getting my hands in the soil and dirt. I love gardening. Doing some great projects. A significant part of my family lives in Georgia now, and I go back there pretty frequently and try to get a wildflower meadow established and working on my mom’s legacy out there that she really wants to pass down to her grandchildren. 

MC

That’s awesome. Who’s a sci-fi author that people should know about? 

CS

I mean, I think everybody knows Octavia Butler. Probably another author that’s moved me with their books, N.K. Jemisin. Those are two that immediately come to mind. 

MC

So great talking to you, Cameron. I really appreciate it. 

CS

Thank you

The post Cameron Steinback on Coming to Climate Justice Work as an Educator, WA’s Data Center Working Group, and More. appeared first on Climate Justice Alliance.