The Teamsters have a new mission: Unionize Amazon workers
NEW YORK (AP) — One of the nation's largest union is aiming to unionize Amazon workers.
Representatives from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a union that represents 1.4 million workers, voted on Thursday to make organizing Amazon workers a priority. That means it will create a division focused on Amazon and set aside money for the effort.
The Teamsters said that Amazon, the nation's second-largest private employer, is exploiting its employees by paying them low wages, pushing them to work at fast speeds and giving them no job security. It also said the company, which has been rapidly growing its delivery business, threatens the working standards it has created for workers at other freight and delivery companies, such as UPS.
“Amazon workers are calling for safer and better working conditions and with today’s resolution we are activating the full force of our union to support them," said Randy Korgan, the national director for Amazon at the Teamsters.
Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. didn't respond to a request for comment Thursday.
So far, no effort to unionize Amazon has been successful in the company’s 26-year history, including a recent one at an Alabama warehouse where workers overwhelmingly voted against joining a union.
But Korgan said the Teamsters will try a different strategy. He wrote in a Salon article earlier this month that unionizing one facility at a time doesn’t work because companies like Amazon have the money and legal resources to kill unionizing efforts inside their facilities. Organizing Amazon workers, he wrote, will take “shop-floor militancy,” such as taking to city streets and holding warehouse strikes.
Amazon fought hard against the union push at a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. At the time, Amazon said that it paid workers at least $15 an hour and offers them benefits, both things unions want. It hung anti-union signs throughout the warehouse and held mandatory meetings to convince workers why the union is a bad idea, according to one worker who testified at a Senate hearing. When the votes were counted in April, the majority rejected the union. The organizing there was led by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents 100,000 workers at poultry plants and retailers, such as Macy’s and H&M.
The Teamsters said it is targeting workers in Amazon's delivery business, who drive vans or pack orders in warehouses. Amazon wants to deliver most of its packages itself and rely less on UPS and other carriers. It has opened packaging-sorting hubs at airports, built warehouses closer to shoppers' homes and bought jets to deliver orders faster.
Joseph Pisani , The Associated Press
Thursday, June 24, 2021
AND GIVE EM BENEFITS
Biden whispers the quiet part out loud on the labor shortage: 'Pay them more!'
"This is the employees' bargaining chip now [Employers] are going to have to compete and start paying hard-working people a decent wage."
bwinck@businessinsider.com (Ben Winck)
The solution to attracting workers is to simply "pay them more!" Biden whisper-shouted on Thursday.
Massive demand for workers gives Americans a new "bargaining chip" for earning higher pay, he added.
The comments come as businesses are hiking wages and offering incentives as they scramble to rehire.
The solution to the labor shortage is, according to President Joe Biden, as simple as a higher wage.
The president allayed a range of concerns around the economy during a Thursday press conference. Among them is the nationwide labor shortage, which has seen hiring slow despite millions of Americans still being unemployed. The shortage may be delaying a full labor-market recovery, but he told journalists at the White House there's an easy solution.
"I remember you were asking me ... 'Guess what? Employers can't find workers.' I said, 'Pay them more!'" the president said in his distinctive whisper-shout.
The refrain has been popular with Biden as businesses rush to attract workers. The president said in May that the accelerating rate of wage growth was a "feature" and "not a bug" of the post-pandemic economy. Increased competition between employers gives Americans more "dignity and respect in the workplace," he added.
"This is the employees' bargaining chip now," he said on Thursday. "[Employers] are going to have to compete and start paying hard-working people a decent wage."
The president also eased fears that recent bouts of stronger inflation would hinder the recovery. The Consumer Price Index - a popular gauge of broad inflation - rose 0.6% in May, beating the median estimate of a 0.4% gain. The reading marked the fastest rate of price growth since 2009, but Biden assured the overshoot would soon fade.
"The overwhelming consensus is it's going to pop up a little bit and then come back down," he said.
The president's comments were made during a press conference focused on the $1 trillion bipartisan deal for infrastructure spending that Biden had thrown his support behind earlier on Thursday. The plan includes funding for physical infrastructure like roads and bridges, as well as improved broadband access and public transit projects.
The package represents just half of the White House's economic plan, Biden said during the afternoon press conference. The other portion will focus on improving childcare, education, and clean energy projects. Both proposals will move through Congress "in tandem" and represent Biden's next steps for building a stronger economy.
"If it turns out that what I've done so far - what we've done so far - is a mistake, it's going to show," the president said. "If that happens, my policies didn't make a lot of sense. But I'm counting on it not."
Read the original article on Business Insider
Biden whispers the quiet part out loud on the labor shortage: 'Pay them more!'
"This is the employees' bargaining chip now [Employers] are going to have to compete and start paying hard-working people a decent wage."
bwinck@businessinsider.com (Ben Winck)
President Joe Biden. Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
The solution to attracting workers is to simply "pay them more!" Biden whisper-shouted on Thursday.
Massive demand for workers gives Americans a new "bargaining chip" for earning higher pay, he added.
The comments come as businesses are hiking wages and offering incentives as they scramble to rehire.
The solution to the labor shortage is, according to President Joe Biden, as simple as a higher wage.
The president allayed a range of concerns around the economy during a Thursday press conference. Among them is the nationwide labor shortage, which has seen hiring slow despite millions of Americans still being unemployed. The shortage may be delaying a full labor-market recovery, but he told journalists at the White House there's an easy solution.
"I remember you were asking me ... 'Guess what? Employers can't find workers.' I said, 'Pay them more!'" the president said in his distinctive whisper-shout.
The refrain has been popular with Biden as businesses rush to attract workers. The president said in May that the accelerating rate of wage growth was a "feature" and "not a bug" of the post-pandemic economy. Increased competition between employers gives Americans more "dignity and respect in the workplace," he added.
"This is the employees' bargaining chip now," he said on Thursday. "[Employers] are going to have to compete and start paying hard-working people a decent wage."
The president also eased fears that recent bouts of stronger inflation would hinder the recovery. The Consumer Price Index - a popular gauge of broad inflation - rose 0.6% in May, beating the median estimate of a 0.4% gain. The reading marked the fastest rate of price growth since 2009, but Biden assured the overshoot would soon fade.
"The overwhelming consensus is it's going to pop up a little bit and then come back down," he said.
The president's comments were made during a press conference focused on the $1 trillion bipartisan deal for infrastructure spending that Biden had thrown his support behind earlier on Thursday. The plan includes funding for physical infrastructure like roads and bridges, as well as improved broadband access and public transit projects.
The package represents just half of the White House's economic plan, Biden said during the afternoon press conference. The other portion will focus on improving childcare, education, and clean energy projects. Both proposals will move through Congress "in tandem" and represent Biden's next steps for building a stronger economy.
"If it turns out that what I've done so far - what we've done so far - is a mistake, it's going to show," the president said. "If that happens, my policies didn't make a lot of sense. But I'm counting on it not."
Read the original article on Business Insider
Collapsed Miami condo had been sinking into Earth as early as the 1990s, researchers say
Gina Barton, Kyle Bagenstose, Pat Beall, Aleszu Bajak and Elizabeth Weise
USA TODAY
A Florida high-rise that collapsed early Thursday was determined to be unstable a year ago, according to a researcher at Florida International University.
A Florida high-rise that collapsed early Thursday was determined to be unstable a year ago, according to a researcher at Florida International University.
© Amy Beth Bennett, South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP Part of the 12-story oceanfront Champlain Towers South condo collapsed early June 24 in Surfside, Fla.
The building, which was constructed in 1981, has been sinking at an alarming rate since the 1990s, according to a study in 2020 by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environment.
When Wdowinski saw the news that the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside collapsed, he instantly remembered it from the study, he said.
“I looked at it this morning and said, ‘Oh my god.’ We did detect that,” he said.
Graphics: Closer look at the Florida building that partially collapsed
Wdowinski said his research is not meant to suggest certainty about what caused the collapse. The building was sinking at a rate of about 2 millimeters a year in the 1990s and could have slowed or accelerated in the time since, he said.
In his experience, even the level of sinking observed in the 1990s typically results in impacts to buildings and their structures, Wdowinski said. He said that very well could have been the case for the Champlain building in the 1990s, based on his findings.
“It was a byproduct of analyzing the data. We saw this building had some kind of unusual movement,” Wdowinski said.
Daniel Dietch, who served as Surfside’s mayor from 2010 to 2020, warned against drawing conclusions too soon.
“This is an extraordinarily unusual event, and it is dangerous and counterproductive to speculate on its cause,” he said.
Workers sorted through the rubble Thursday afternoon. Officials said 35 people were rescued and confirmed at least one death, saying they expect the death toll to rise. At least 99 people remained unaccounted for.
According to Surfside Town Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer, “This was not an act of God. This was not a natural disaster. Buildings don't just fall.”
Water damage and cracks
The county requires commercial and multifamily buildings to be recertified every 40 years. The process involves electrical and structural inspections for a report to be filed with the town. It was underway for the condominium building but had not been completed, town officials said Thursday.
Salzhauer said no serious complaints about the building had been brought to the town’s attention.
"If a building had serious problems, we would certainly know about it," she said.
In 2015, a lawsuit alleged building management failed to maintain an outside wall, resulting in water damage and cracks. The owner who filed that suit had previously sued over the same issue, according to a court filing. The management company paid for damages in the earlier case, according to records.
Cracked walls or shifting foundations can be clues that sinking has affected the stability of a structure, according to Matthys Levy, a consulting engineer, professor at Columbia University and author of “Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail.”
Video: At least 1 dead, 51 unaccounted for after partial collapse of condo near Miami, officials say (The Independent)
Residents of the building might have noticed changes, he said.
“Had there been changes in the building? Cracks in the walls, in the floor? Floors not being level, things rolling off tables?” he said. That would indicate the building was shifting.
The building, which was constructed in 1981, has been sinking at an alarming rate since the 1990s, according to a study in 2020 by Shimon Wdowinski, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environment.
When Wdowinski saw the news that the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside collapsed, he instantly remembered it from the study, he said.
“I looked at it this morning and said, ‘Oh my god.’ We did detect that,” he said.
Graphics: Closer look at the Florida building that partially collapsed
Wdowinski said his research is not meant to suggest certainty about what caused the collapse. The building was sinking at a rate of about 2 millimeters a year in the 1990s and could have slowed or accelerated in the time since, he said.
In his experience, even the level of sinking observed in the 1990s typically results in impacts to buildings and their structures, Wdowinski said. He said that very well could have been the case for the Champlain building in the 1990s, based on his findings.
“It was a byproduct of analyzing the data. We saw this building had some kind of unusual movement,” Wdowinski said.
Daniel Dietch, who served as Surfside’s mayor from 2010 to 2020, warned against drawing conclusions too soon.
“This is an extraordinarily unusual event, and it is dangerous and counterproductive to speculate on its cause,” he said.
Workers sorted through the rubble Thursday afternoon. Officials said 35 people were rescued and confirmed at least one death, saying they expect the death toll to rise. At least 99 people remained unaccounted for.
According to Surfside Town Commissioner Eliana Salzhauer, “This was not an act of God. This was not a natural disaster. Buildings don't just fall.”
Water damage and cracks
The county requires commercial and multifamily buildings to be recertified every 40 years. The process involves electrical and structural inspections for a report to be filed with the town. It was underway for the condominium building but had not been completed, town officials said Thursday.
Salzhauer said no serious complaints about the building had been brought to the town’s attention.
"If a building had serious problems, we would certainly know about it," she said.
In 2015, a lawsuit alleged building management failed to maintain an outside wall, resulting in water damage and cracks. The owner who filed that suit had previously sued over the same issue, according to a court filing. The management company paid for damages in the earlier case, according to records.
Cracked walls or shifting foundations can be clues that sinking has affected the stability of a structure, according to Matthys Levy, a consulting engineer, professor at Columbia University and author of “Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail.”
Video: At least 1 dead, 51 unaccounted for after partial collapse of condo near Miami, officials say (The Independent)
Residents of the building might have noticed changes, he said.
“Had there been changes in the building? Cracks in the walls, in the floor? Floors not being level, things rolling off tables?” he said. That would indicate the building was shifting.
A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue person and a K-9 continue the search and rescue operations in the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building on June 24, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. It is unknown at this time how many people were injured as the search-and-rescue effort continues with rescue crews from across Miami-Dade and Broward counties.38 SLIDES © Joe Raedle, Getty Images
A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue person and a K-9 continue the search and rescue operations in the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building on June 24, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. It is unknown at this time how many people were injured as the search-and-rescue effort continues with rescue crews from across Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
The city needs to invest in technology that can determine which buildings are at risk of collapse due to geologic processes, said Keren Bolter, a Florida-based geoscientist at the engineering firm Arcadis who has advised the Federal Emergency Management Agency on hazard mitigation.
“It's very sad that people are forced to be reactive. We're constantly putting out fires. I think there's a systemic problem we have,” she said. "Investing in preventative measures instead of reactive responses saves lives, money and time.”
Satellites, drones and other means are used to monitor where Florida is sinking and understand which buildings might be at risk, according to Ryan Shamet, a professor of engineering at the University of North Florida. Those efforts vary by jurisdiction and depend on whether structures are privately or publicly owned, he said. Aside from the analysis at the time of construction, monitoring is generally not done proactively, he said.
”Structural health monitoring is already there,” Shamet said. “But it's hard because we don't have the resources yet to monitor every single structure. You kind of have to know if there's an issue first before you start monitoring it.”
Progressive collapse
There is always concern for structures built on reclaimed land, according to Levy.
Reclaimed land, whether landfill or wetlands, can compact over time, leading to shifts in the ground under the building and potentially to the foundation.
“A milliliter may seem like a small number, but when you add them up over many years, it becomes a big number,” Levy said.
The building could have been especially vulnerable if the ground it was situated on was sinking at different rates, causing differential settlement.
“The fact that one part of it is still standing is important. The portion that collapsed might have been tipping compared to the other portion, which may not have been sinking as fast. So you have an unequal situation, and in between, things begin to crack and tilt,” Levy said.
“There has to be some trigger that occurs. If you have two parts of a building and one part is well-founded and doesn’t move that much and the other is not, then between the two, you get movement. That can cause distortion in the floor slabs. They can begin to crack; suddenly, you get cracking, breaking and fracturing,” he said.
That leads to what’s known as progressive collapse, when one part fails, then another and another until the entire structure fails. That is what happened to the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks, he said.
“Buildings are not super strong; they’re not built to sustain an unusual event like this,” he said.
“If one part of the building fails, it drags the rest with it,” he said. “It just continues, you can’t stop. There’s nothing there to stop it, there’s no strong elements to hold it back. It’s a cascade.”
A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue person and a K-9 continue the search and rescue operations in the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building on June 24, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. It is unknown at this time how many people were injured as the search-and-rescue effort continues with rescue crews from across Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
The city needs to invest in technology that can determine which buildings are at risk of collapse due to geologic processes, said Keren Bolter, a Florida-based geoscientist at the engineering firm Arcadis who has advised the Federal Emergency Management Agency on hazard mitigation.
“It's very sad that people are forced to be reactive. We're constantly putting out fires. I think there's a systemic problem we have,” she said. "Investing in preventative measures instead of reactive responses saves lives, money and time.”
Satellites, drones and other means are used to monitor where Florida is sinking and understand which buildings might be at risk, according to Ryan Shamet, a professor of engineering at the University of North Florida. Those efforts vary by jurisdiction and depend on whether structures are privately or publicly owned, he said. Aside from the analysis at the time of construction, monitoring is generally not done proactively, he said.
”Structural health monitoring is already there,” Shamet said. “But it's hard because we don't have the resources yet to monitor every single structure. You kind of have to know if there's an issue first before you start monitoring it.”
Progressive collapse
There is always concern for structures built on reclaimed land, according to Levy.
Reclaimed land, whether landfill or wetlands, can compact over time, leading to shifts in the ground under the building and potentially to the foundation.
“A milliliter may seem like a small number, but when you add them up over many years, it becomes a big number,” Levy said.
The building could have been especially vulnerable if the ground it was situated on was sinking at different rates, causing differential settlement.
“The fact that one part of it is still standing is important. The portion that collapsed might have been tipping compared to the other portion, which may not have been sinking as fast. So you have an unequal situation, and in between, things begin to crack and tilt,” Levy said.
“There has to be some trigger that occurs. If you have two parts of a building and one part is well-founded and doesn’t move that much and the other is not, then between the two, you get movement. That can cause distortion in the floor slabs. They can begin to crack; suddenly, you get cracking, breaking and fracturing,” he said.
That leads to what’s known as progressive collapse, when one part fails, then another and another until the entire structure fails. That is what happened to the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks, he said.
“Buildings are not super strong; they’re not built to sustain an unusual event like this,” he said.
“If one part of the building fails, it drags the rest with it,” he said. “It just continues, you can’t stop. There’s nothing there to stop it, there’s no strong elements to hold it back. It’s a cascade.”
Impact of sea level rise and flooding
Over the past several years, Wdowinski and his team have researched which parts of the Miami area are sinking, primarily to identify where sea level rise and flooding could have the most impact. They obtained historical data from European satellites, which mapped the area by bouncing signals down to the ground and back to identify shifting elevations.
They published the results in April 2020.
© Joe Raedle, Getty Images A portion of the 12-story condo tower crumbled to the ground June 24 in Surfside, Fla.
The data, collected from 1993 to 1999, showed that most of the Miami area was not sinking appreciably, save for a few hot spots. Wdowinski said most of those occurred in the western part of Miami, where the elevation is lower. The level of sinking at the Champlain condo was unusual, he said.
Wdownski said he doesn’t believe anybody in the city or state government would have had a reason to be aware of the findings of the study. The bulk of it focused on potential flooding hazards, not engineering concerns. The study’s mention of the “12-story condominium” was relegated to a single line.
“We didn’t give it too much importance,” Wdowinski said.
The incident has made him think about the possibility of using such data to identify areas of potential structural risk, he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Collapsed Miami condo had been sinking into Earth as early as the 1990s, researchers say
The data, collected from 1993 to 1999, showed that most of the Miami area was not sinking appreciably, save for a few hot spots. Wdowinski said most of those occurred in the western part of Miami, where the elevation is lower. The level of sinking at the Champlain condo was unusual, he said.
Wdownski said he doesn’t believe anybody in the city or state government would have had a reason to be aware of the findings of the study. The bulk of it focused on potential flooding hazards, not engineering concerns. The study’s mention of the “12-story condominium” was relegated to a single line.
“We didn’t give it too much importance,” Wdowinski said.
The incident has made him think about the possibility of using such data to identify areas of potential structural risk, he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Collapsed Miami condo had been sinking into Earth as early as the 1990s, researchers say
SEE
THIS HAPPENED THREE DAY'S EARLIER
CONCRETE MAN
Meet Nesher Ramla Homo - new early human discovered at Israeli cement site
By Ari Rabinovitch
Meet Nesher Ramla Homo - new early human discovered at Israeli cement site
By Ari Rabinovitch
REUTERS
JUNE 22, 2021
© Reuters/AMMAR AWAD Nesher Ramla - pieces of fossilised bone of a previously unknown kind of early human discovered in Israel
TEL AVIV (Reuters) -Scientists said on Thursday they had discovered a new kind of early human after studying pieces of fossilised bone dug up at a site used by a cement plant in central Israel.
TEL AVIV (Reuters) -Scientists said on Thursday they had discovered a new kind of early human after studying pieces of fossilised bone dug up at a site used by a cement plant in central Israel.
© Reuters/AMMAR AWAD Nesher Ramla - pieces of fossilised bone of a previously unknown kind of early human discovered in Israel
The fragments of a skull and a lower jaw with teeth were about 130,000 years old and could force a rethink of parts of the human family tree, the researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said.
Nesher Ramla Homo - named after the place southeast of Tel Aviv where it was found - may have lived alongside our species, Homo sapiens, for more than 100,000 years, and may have even interbred, according to the findings.
The early humans, who had very large teeth and no chin, may have also been ancestors of the Neanderthals, the study added, challenging the current thinking that our evolutionary cousins originated in Europe.
The fragments of a skull and a lower jaw with teeth were about 130,000 years old and could force a rethink of parts of the human family tree, the researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said.
Nesher Ramla Homo - named after the place southeast of Tel Aviv where it was found - may have lived alongside our species, Homo sapiens, for more than 100,000 years, and may have even interbred, according to the findings.
The early humans, who had very large teeth and no chin, may have also been ancestors of the Neanderthals, the study added, challenging the current thinking that our evolutionary cousins originated in Europe.
© Reuters/AMMAR AWAD Nesher Ramla - pieces of fossilised bone of a previously unknown kind of early human discovered in Israel
"The discovery of a new type of Homo is of great scientific importance," said Israel Hershkovitz of Tel Aviv University, one of the leaders of the team that analysed the remains.
"The discovery of a new type of Homo is of great scientific importance," said Israel Hershkovitz of Tel Aviv University, one of the leaders of the team that analysed the remains.
© Reuters/AMMAR AWAD Nesher Ramla - pieces of fossilised bone of a previously unknown kind of early human discovered in Israel
"It enables us to make new sense of previously found human fossils, add another piece to the puzzle of human evolution, and understand the migrations of humans in the old world."
Dr Yossi Zaidner of the Hebrew University found the fossils while exploring the mining area of the Nesher cement plant near the city of Ramla, the universities said in their statement.
TOOLS AND BONES
Excavators uncovered the bones about eight metres (25 feet) deep among stone tools and the bones of horses and deer.
The study said the Nesher Ramla resembled pre-Neanderthal groups in Europe.
"This is what makes us suggest that this Nesher Ramla group is actually a large group that started very early in time and are the source of the European Neanderthal," said Hila May, a physical anthropologist at the Dan David Center and the Shmunis Institute of Tel Aviv University
"It enables us to make new sense of previously found human fossils, add another piece to the puzzle of human evolution, and understand the migrations of humans in the old world."
Dr Yossi Zaidner of the Hebrew University found the fossils while exploring the mining area of the Nesher cement plant near the city of Ramla, the universities said in their statement.
TOOLS AND BONES
Excavators uncovered the bones about eight metres (25 feet) deep among stone tools and the bones of horses and deer.
The study said the Nesher Ramla resembled pre-Neanderthal groups in Europe.
"This is what makes us suggest that this Nesher Ramla group is actually a large group that started very early in time and are the source of the European Neanderthal," said Hila May, a physical anthropologist at the Dan David Center and the Shmunis Institute of Tel Aviv University
© Reuters/AMMAR AWAD Nesher Ramla - pieces of fossilised bone of a previously unknown kind of early human discovered in Israel
Experts have never been able to fully explain how Homo sapiens genes were present in the earlier Neanderthal population in Europe, May said, and the Nesher Ramla may be the mystery group responsible.
The jaw bone had no chin and the skull was flat, she said. 3D shape analysis later ruled out relation to any other known group.
What they did match, May said, were a small number of enigmatic human fossils found elsewhere in Israel, dating back even earlier, that anthropologists had never been able to place.
"As a crossroads between Africa, Europe and Asia, the Land of Israel served as a melting pot where different human populations mixed with one another, to later spread throughout the Old World," said Dr Rachel Sarig, from Tel Aviv University.
(Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Experts have never been able to fully explain how Homo sapiens genes were present in the earlier Neanderthal population in Europe, May said, and the Nesher Ramla may be the mystery group responsible.
The jaw bone had no chin and the skull was flat, she said. 3D shape analysis later ruled out relation to any other known group.
What they did match, May said, were a small number of enigmatic human fossils found elsewhere in Israel, dating back even earlier, that anthropologists had never been able to place.
"As a crossroads between Africa, Europe and Asia, the Land of Israel served as a melting pot where different human populations mixed with one another, to later spread throughout the Old World," said Dr Rachel Sarig, from Tel Aviv University.
(Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Fossil find adds to evidence of dinosaurs living in Arctic year-round
By Yereth Rosen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Fossils from tiny baby dinosaurs discovered in northernmost Alaska offer strong evidence that the prehistoric creatures lived year-round in the Arctic and were likely warm-blooded, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology.
The fossils are from at least seven types of dinosaurs just hatched or still in their eggs about 70 million years ago. Researchers have never found evidence of dinosaur nests so far north, said lead author Pat Druckenmiller, director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North.
The find helps upend past assumptions of dinosaurs as giant cold-blooded reptiles.
"If they reproduced, then they over-wintered there. If they overwintered there, they had to deal with conditions that we don't usually associate with dinosaurs, like freezing conditions and snow," Druckenmiller said.
To survive dark Arctic winters, those dinosaurs could not have basked in the sun to warm their bodies, as lizards do, he said.
"At least these groups had endothermy," he said, using the term for the ability of animals to warm their bodies through internal functions. "They had a degree of warm-bloodedness."
The discovery site is a steep bluff on the Colville River on Alaska's North Slope, at latitude 70 and about 250 miles (400 km) north of the Arctic Circle. In the Cretaceous period, when North America was positioned differently, it was even farther north, at latitude 80 or 85, Druckenmiller said.
The region was much warmer then than Alaska's North Slope is now but hardly tropical. From remnants of ancient plants, scientists calculate the average annual temperature at about 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 Fahrenheit) – similar to Juneau, Alaska – meaning below-freezing winters with snow, Druckenmiller said.
While Alaska's North Slope endures two months of total winter darkness now, during the Cretaceous period it was in total darkness for up to four months a year, he said.
Finding the tiny bones and teeth, some the size of a pinhead, was laborious, Druckenmiller said. They were identified through microscopic examination after being sifted out multiple times from sediments collected in expeditions stretching back decades, he said.
"I liken it to gold panning. It's a very slow process," he said.
The discovery site, called the Prince Creek Formation, has proved crucial to modern understanding of the ancient creatures.
The first dinosaur discovery was made there in the 1960s by a petroleum geologist. Subsequent expeditions found previously unknown dinosaur species. Over time, evidence of year-round Arctic occupation has mounted.
At the same formation, other scientists found a jawbone from a baby dromaeosaurid, detailed in a study published last year in the journal PLOS ONE. That meat-eating dinosaur would have been the size of a small puppy and incapable of long-distance migration, said co-author Tony Fiorillo, a Southern Methodist University paleontologist.
The new study about nesting dinosaurs strengthens the growing realization that dinosaurs lived full-time in the Arctic and thus could not be cold-blooded, Fiorillo said.
"This new study broadens the conversation about year-round dinosaurs in the Arctic. It didn't invent the conversation," he said.
(Reporting By Yereth Rosen in Anchorage; editing by Richard Pullin)
By Yereth Rosen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Fossils from tiny baby dinosaurs discovered in northernmost Alaska offer strong evidence that the prehistoric creatures lived year-round in the Arctic and were likely warm-blooded, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology.
The fossils are from at least seven types of dinosaurs just hatched or still in their eggs about 70 million years ago. Researchers have never found evidence of dinosaur nests so far north, said lead author Pat Druckenmiller, director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North.
The find helps upend past assumptions of dinosaurs as giant cold-blooded reptiles.
"If they reproduced, then they over-wintered there. If they overwintered there, they had to deal with conditions that we don't usually associate with dinosaurs, like freezing conditions and snow," Druckenmiller said.
To survive dark Arctic winters, those dinosaurs could not have basked in the sun to warm their bodies, as lizards do, he said.
"At least these groups had endothermy," he said, using the term for the ability of animals to warm their bodies through internal functions. "They had a degree of warm-bloodedness."
The discovery site is a steep bluff on the Colville River on Alaska's North Slope, at latitude 70 and about 250 miles (400 km) north of the Arctic Circle. In the Cretaceous period, when North America was positioned differently, it was even farther north, at latitude 80 or 85, Druckenmiller said.
The region was much warmer then than Alaska's North Slope is now but hardly tropical. From remnants of ancient plants, scientists calculate the average annual temperature at about 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 Fahrenheit) – similar to Juneau, Alaska – meaning below-freezing winters with snow, Druckenmiller said.
While Alaska's North Slope endures two months of total winter darkness now, during the Cretaceous period it was in total darkness for up to four months a year, he said.
Finding the tiny bones and teeth, some the size of a pinhead, was laborious, Druckenmiller said. They were identified through microscopic examination after being sifted out multiple times from sediments collected in expeditions stretching back decades, he said.
"I liken it to gold panning. It's a very slow process," he said.
The discovery site, called the Prince Creek Formation, has proved crucial to modern understanding of the ancient creatures.
The first dinosaur discovery was made there in the 1960s by a petroleum geologist. Subsequent expeditions found previously unknown dinosaur species. Over time, evidence of year-round Arctic occupation has mounted.
At the same formation, other scientists found a jawbone from a baby dromaeosaurid, detailed in a study published last year in the journal PLOS ONE. That meat-eating dinosaur would have been the size of a small puppy and incapable of long-distance migration, said co-author Tony Fiorillo, a Southern Methodist University paleontologist.
The new study about nesting dinosaurs strengthens the growing realization that dinosaurs lived full-time in the Arctic and thus could not be cold-blooded, Fiorillo said.
"This new study broadens the conversation about year-round dinosaurs in the Arctic. It didn't invent the conversation," he said.
(Reporting By Yereth Rosen in Anchorage; editing by Richard Pullin)
Alberta paleontologists find dramatic change in bite force as tyrannosaurs matured
Tyrannosaurs are well known as having been ferocious predators at the top of the food chain millions of years ago, but a study led by an Alberta-based researcher shows the reptiles didn't start out life that way.
Tyrannosaurs are well known as having been ferocious predators at the top of the food chain millions of years ago, but a study led by an Alberta-based researcher shows the reptiles didn't start out life that way.
© Provided by The Canadian Press
François Therrien, curator of dinosaur paleoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alta., said the study focused on tyrannosaur teeth and their dramatic change as they matured.
He collaborated with Darla Zelenitsky and Jared Voris of the University of Calgary, as well as Kohei Tanaka of the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
For the study, published this week in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, the researchers examined the lower jaws from the Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus, types of tyrannosaurs commonly found in Canada that predated the T. rex by millions of years.
"Our fossil records for those two species of tyrannosaurs is excellent," Therrien said about the collection at the museum.
"We have so many specimens of those ... that represent a full growth series from very young individuals that were probably three or four years of age all the way to fully grown adults that were over 20 years of age."
By examining a wide range of fossils, the researchers were able to see a significant change in tooth size and jaw force once the tyrannosaurs reached about 11 years of age.
Feeding behaviour did not appear to change during the lifespan of the tyrannosaurs, because their jaws were adapted to capturing and seizing prey with their mouths, probably because the forelimbs were too short to grasp food, Therrien said.
"Tyrannosaurs were truly unique when you look at all the theropods," he said. "They were atypical ... because their bite and their skulls were their main weapon for killing prey."
But what did change, he said, is the size of their teeth and their bite force.
A tyrannosaur at about three years of age was still a deadly predator, but it had smaller blade-like teeth that could only slice through flesh. The bite force, Therrien added, was about 10 per cent that of a fully grown alligator.
That means younger tyrannosaurs ate smaller prey and had to compete with other like-sized predators such as the Velociraptor.
Once tyrannosaurs turned 11, Therrien explained, they went through a growth spurt in which their teeth became larger and wider. By the time the reptiles were fully grown, their bite force was eight times more than that of an alligator.
And that meant their diets also changed.
"These teeth were better adapted for resisting twisting stresses either associated with biting of big prey or even crushing bone."
Therrien said his study shows that young tyrannosaurs were distinct predators that occupied different ecological niches.
"Young tyrannosaurs were not just scaled-down versions of the mature parents," he said. "They were creatures that actually had their own lifestyles."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2021.
Daniela Germano, The Canadian Press
François Therrien, curator of dinosaur paleoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alta., said the study focused on tyrannosaur teeth and their dramatic change as they matured.
He collaborated with Darla Zelenitsky and Jared Voris of the University of Calgary, as well as Kohei Tanaka of the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
For the study, published this week in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, the researchers examined the lower jaws from the Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus, types of tyrannosaurs commonly found in Canada that predated the T. rex by millions of years.
"Our fossil records for those two species of tyrannosaurs is excellent," Therrien said about the collection at the museum.
"We have so many specimens of those ... that represent a full growth series from very young individuals that were probably three or four years of age all the way to fully grown adults that were over 20 years of age."
By examining a wide range of fossils, the researchers were able to see a significant change in tooth size and jaw force once the tyrannosaurs reached about 11 years of age.
Feeding behaviour did not appear to change during the lifespan of the tyrannosaurs, because their jaws were adapted to capturing and seizing prey with their mouths, probably because the forelimbs were too short to grasp food, Therrien said.
"Tyrannosaurs were truly unique when you look at all the theropods," he said. "They were atypical ... because their bite and their skulls were their main weapon for killing prey."
But what did change, he said, is the size of their teeth and their bite force.
A tyrannosaur at about three years of age was still a deadly predator, but it had smaller blade-like teeth that could only slice through flesh. The bite force, Therrien added, was about 10 per cent that of a fully grown alligator.
That means younger tyrannosaurs ate smaller prey and had to compete with other like-sized predators such as the Velociraptor.
Once tyrannosaurs turned 11, Therrien explained, they went through a growth spurt in which their teeth became larger and wider. By the time the reptiles were fully grown, their bite force was eight times more than that of an alligator.
And that meant their diets also changed.
"These teeth were better adapted for resisting twisting stresses either associated with biting of big prey or even crushing bone."
Therrien said his study shows that young tyrannosaurs were distinct predators that occupied different ecological niches.
"Young tyrannosaurs were not just scaled-down versions of the mature parents," he said. "They were creatures that actually had their own lifestyles."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2021.
Daniela Germano, The Canadian Press
New renewable energy projects will be more cost-effective than coal: report
Nearly two-thirds of all wind and solar projects built globally last year could generate cheaper electricity than even the least expensive coal alternatives, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Nearly two-thirds of all wind and solar projects built globally last year could generate cheaper electricity than even the least expensive coal alternatives, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
© Photographer: Jeremy Suyker/Bloomberg ORG XMIT: 775664878 A construction worker passes between solar panels at the Renewable Energy Systems Ltd. solar park, on a brownfield site formerly occupied by an ArcelorMittal SA metals plant, during construction in Laudun L'Ardoise, France, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.
EU member states will put more than 34 billion euros of stimulus into clean energy, including renewable power projects, grid upgrades, and renewable hydrogen deployment, according to recovery plans submitted to the European Commission.
Because of downward costs associated with wind farms and solar panels, the report states that 62 per cent of renewable energy projects could be more cost-effective than coal equivalents of up to 800 gigawatts, approximately enough to meet the U.K.’s electricity demand 10 times over.
“Today renewables are the cheapest source of power,” said Francesco La Camera the director-general of IRENA in a press release , “Renewables present countries tied to coal with an economically attractive phase-out agenda that ensures they meet growing energy demand, while saving costs, adding jobs, boosting growth and meeting climate ambition.”
IRENA’s cost analysis program has been collecting performance data of renewable energy technologies since 2012and simultaneously reporting on the costs of those technologies. Two key data sources were used to create the report, including the IRENA Renewable Cost Database and the IRENA Auctions and Power Purchase Agreement databases. The report analyzed approximately 20,000 renewable energy projects around the world and also data from 13,000 auctions and renewable power purchase agreements.
Last year solar prices fell by 16 per cent, according to the report, while the cost of onshore wind fell by 13 per cent and offshore wind by nine per cent during the same time period.
Video: International Energy Agency report states fossil fuel investment must end to reach climate goals (Global News)
In comparison, the price of a new coal plant in Europe would well exceed the cost of a wind or solar farm when mandatory carbon prices are included, according to the Guardian . In the U.S. renewable forms of energy could be between 75 and 91 per cent cheaper in comparison to existing coal-fired power plants and in India renewable energy sources would be 87 and 91 per cent cheaper than new coal plants.
Replacing active coal plants with unsubsidized renewable energy could also save $32.3 billion (39.74 billion CAD) annually in energy system costs, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by three gigatonnes, according to the report.
Carbon savings from phasing out 800GW of coal power, the report said, would have the equivalent of cutting the world’s energy-related emissions by nine per cent last year, or around 20 per cent of carbon savings required by 2030 to mitigate global heating by 1.5C over pre-industrial temperatures.
La Camera said the agency’s latest report provides evidence that the world is “far beyond the tipping point of coal,” partly because costs associated with solar power have fallen by more than 85 per cent between 2010-20, while onshore wind costs have fallen by 56 per cent and offshore wind by 48 per cent in that same time.
IRENA’s most recent report also predicts the trend of falling renewable energy prices to continue in the coming years. In the next two years alone, the report projects three-quarters of all novel solar power initiatives to be cheaper than their coal counterparts, while onshore wind costs will fall to be 20-27 per cent cheaper than the cheapest coal option.
“The trend confirms that low-cost renewables are not only the backbone of the electricity system, but that they will also enable electrification in end uses like transport, buildings and industry and unlock competitive indirect electrification with renewable hydrogen,” said the report.
Because of downward costs associated with wind farms and solar panels, the report states that 62 per cent of renewable energy projects could be more cost-effective than coal equivalents of up to 800 gigawatts, approximately enough to meet the U.K.’s electricity demand 10 times over.
“Today renewables are the cheapest source of power,” said Francesco La Camera the director-general of IRENA in a press release , “Renewables present countries tied to coal with an economically attractive phase-out agenda that ensures they meet growing energy demand, while saving costs, adding jobs, boosting growth and meeting climate ambition.”
IRENA’s cost analysis program has been collecting performance data of renewable energy technologies since 2012and simultaneously reporting on the costs of those technologies. Two key data sources were used to create the report, including the IRENA Renewable Cost Database and the IRENA Auctions and Power Purchase Agreement databases. The report analyzed approximately 20,000 renewable energy projects around the world and also data from 13,000 auctions and renewable power purchase agreements.
Last year solar prices fell by 16 per cent, according to the report, while the cost of onshore wind fell by 13 per cent and offshore wind by nine per cent during the same time period.
Video: International Energy Agency report states fossil fuel investment must end to reach climate goals (Global News)
In comparison, the price of a new coal plant in Europe would well exceed the cost of a wind or solar farm when mandatory carbon prices are included, according to the Guardian . In the U.S. renewable forms of energy could be between 75 and 91 per cent cheaper in comparison to existing coal-fired power plants and in India renewable energy sources would be 87 and 91 per cent cheaper than new coal plants.
Replacing active coal plants with unsubsidized renewable energy could also save $32.3 billion (39.74 billion CAD) annually in energy system costs, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by three gigatonnes, according to the report.
Carbon savings from phasing out 800GW of coal power, the report said, would have the equivalent of cutting the world’s energy-related emissions by nine per cent last year, or around 20 per cent of carbon savings required by 2030 to mitigate global heating by 1.5C over pre-industrial temperatures.
La Camera said the agency’s latest report provides evidence that the world is “far beyond the tipping point of coal,” partly because costs associated with solar power have fallen by more than 85 per cent between 2010-20, while onshore wind costs have fallen by 56 per cent and offshore wind by 48 per cent in that same time.
IRENA’s most recent report also predicts the trend of falling renewable energy prices to continue in the coming years. In the next two years alone, the report projects three-quarters of all novel solar power initiatives to be cheaper than their coal counterparts, while onshore wind costs will fall to be 20-27 per cent cheaper than the cheapest coal option.
“The trend confirms that low-cost renewables are not only the backbone of the electricity system, but that they will also enable electrification in end uses like transport, buildings and industry and unlock competitive indirect electrification with renewable hydrogen,” said the report.
Boom in Native American oil complicates Biden climate push
© Provided by The Canadian Press
NEW TOWN, N.D. (AP) — On oil well pads carved from the wheat fields around Lake Sakakawea, hundreds of pump jacks slowly bob to extract 100 million barrels of crude annually from a reservation shared by three Native American tribes.
About half their 16,000 members live on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation atop one of the biggest U.S. oil discoveries in decades, North Dakota’s Bakken shale formation.
The drilling rush has brought the tribes unimagined wealth -- more than $1.5 billion and counting -- and they hope it will last another 20 to 25 years. The boom also propelled an almost tenfold spike in oil production from Native American lands since 2009, federal data shows, complicating efforts by President Joe Biden to curb carbon emissions.
Burning of oil from tribal lands overseen by the U.S. government now produces greenhouse gases equivalent to about 12 million vehicles a year, according to an Associated Press analysis. But Biden exempted Native American lands from a suspension of new oil and gas leases on government-managed land in deference to tribes’ sovereign status.
A judge in Louisiana temporarily blocked the suspension June 15, but the administration continues to develop plans that could extend the ban or make leases more costly.
With tribal lands now producing more than 3% of U.S. oil and huge reserves untapped, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland — the first Native American to lead a U.S. cabinet-level agency — faces competing pressures to help a small number of tribes develop their fossil fuels while also addressing climate change that affects all Native communities.
“We’re one of the few tribes that have elected to develop our energy resources. That’s our right,” tribal Chairman Mark Fox told AP at the opening of a Fort Berthold museum and cultural center built with oil revenue. “We can develop those resources and do it responsibly so our children and grandchildren for the next 100 years have somewhere to live.”
Smallpox nearly wiped out the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribes in the mid-1800s. They lost most of their territory to broken treaties — and a century later, their best remaining lands along the Missouri River were flooded when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created Lake Sakakawea. With dozens of villages uprooted, many people moved to a replacement community above the lake — New Town.
Today, leaders of the three tribes view oil as their salvation and want to keep drilling before it's depleted and the world moves past fossil fuels.
And they want the Biden administration to speed up drilling permits and fend off efforts to shut down a pipeline carrying most reservation oil to refineries.
PIPELINE FIGHT
Yet tribes left out of the drilling boom have become outspoken against fossil fuels as climate change worsens. One is the Standing Rock Sioux about 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the south.
Home to the Dakota and Lakota nations, Standing Rock gained prominence during a months-long standoff between law enforcement and protesters, including tribal officials, who tried to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline that carries Fort Berthold crude.
A judge revoked the pipeline's government permit because of inadequate environmental analysis and allowed crude to flow during a new review. But Standing Rock wants the administration to halt the oil for good, fearing a pipeline break could contaminate its drinking water.
Meantime, attention surrounding the skirmish provided the Sioux with foundation backing to develop a wind farm in Porcupine Hills, an area of scrub oak and buffalo grass with cattle ranches.
The pipeline fight stirs bitter memories in Fawn Wasin Zi, a teacher who chairs the Standing Rock renewable power authority. She grew up hearing her father and grandmother tell about a government dam that created Lake Oahe — how they had to leave their home then watch government agents burn it, only to be denied housing, electricity and other promised compensation.
Wasin Zi, whose ancestors followed legendary Lakota leader Sitting Bull, wants to ensure the tribe doesn't fall victim yet again to a changing world, where fossil fuels warm the planet and bring drought and wildfire.
“We have to find a way to use the technology that's available right now, whether it's geothermal or solar or wind," she said.
Only a dozen of the 326 tribal reservations produce significant oil, according to a drilling analysis provided to AP by S&P Global Platts.
Biden's nominee to oversee them as assistant secretary for Indian affairs, Bryan Newland, recently told a U.S. Senate committee the administration recognizes the importance of oil and gas to some reservations and pledged to let tribes determine resource development.
Interior officials denied interview requests about tribal energy plans, but said tribes were consulted in April after Biden ordered the department to "engage with tribal authorities" on developing renewables and fossil fuels.
Joseph McNeill Jr, manager of Standing Rock’s energy authority, said a conference call with Interior yielded no pledges to further the tribe's wind project. Fort Berthold officials said they've had no offers of discussions with the administration.
ONE TRIBE'S BUILDING BOOM
Fort Berthold still reels from ills oil brought — worse crime and drugs, tanker truck traffic, road fatalities, spills of oil and wastewater. Tribal members lament that stars are lost in the glare of flaring waste gas from wells.
Yet oil brought positive changes, too. As the tribes' coffers fattened, dozens of projects got underway. The reservation now boasts new schools, senior centers, parks, civic centers, health and drug rehab facilities. Oil money is building a $26 million greenhouse complex heated by electricity from gas otherwise wasted.
The $30 million cultural center in New Town pieces together the tribes’ fractured past through displays and artifacts. A sound studio captures stories from elders who lived through dam construction and flooding along the Missouri. And one exhibit traces the oil boom after fracking allowed companies to tap reserves once too difficult to drill.
“Our little town, New Town, changed overnight,” said MHA Nation Interpretive Center Director Delphine Baker. “We never had traffic lights growing up. It's like I moved to a different town.”
HOPING FOR “MORNING LIGHT”
Lower on the Missouri, Standing Rock grapples with high energy costs. There’s no oil worth extracting, no gas or coal. The biggest employer beside tribal government is a casino, where revenue plummeted during the pandemic.
“There’s nothing here. No jobs. Nothing,” said Donald Whitelightning, Jr., who lives in Cannon Ball, near the Dakota Access Pipeline protest.
Whitelightning, who cares for his mother in a modest home, said he pays up to $500 a month for electricity in winter. Utility costs, among North Dakota's highest, severely strain a reservation officials say has 40% poverty and 75% unemployment.
The tribe hopes its wind project, Anpetu Wi, meaning “morning light,” will help. Officials predict its 235 megawatts — enough for roughly 94,000 homes — would double their annual revenue and fund benefits like those Fort Berthold derives from oil — housing, health care, more jobs.
Standing Rock's power authority can directly negotiate aspects of the project. Yet it needs Interior approval because the U.S. holds tribal lands in trust.
“AN OIL FIELD TO PROTECT”
Outside North Dakota, tribes with oil — the Osage in Oklahoma, the Navajo in the Southwest and Native corporations in Alaska — also are pushing the Biden administration to cede power over energy development, including letting tribes conduct environmental reviews.
A Navajo company's operations in the Aneth field in southern Utah bring about $28 million to $35 million annually. Active since the 1950s, the field likely has another 30 years of life, said James McClure, chief executive of the Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Co..
The company has considered expanding into federal land in New Mexico and Colorado. Biden’s attempts to suspend new leases could slow those plans, and it’s considering helium production as an option.
In northern Oklahoma, the Osage have been drilling oil for more than a century.
Cognizant of global warming and shifting energy markets, they are pondering renewables, too. For now, they want the Biden administration to speed up drilling permits.
“We are looking at what is going to be best for us,” said Everett Waller, chairman of the tribe’s energy regulator. “I wasn’t given a wind turbine. I was given an oil field to protect.”
___
Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Ariz.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Matthew Brown And Felicia Fonseca, The Associated Press
NEW TOWN, N.D. (AP) — On oil well pads carved from the wheat fields around Lake Sakakawea, hundreds of pump jacks slowly bob to extract 100 million barrels of crude annually from a reservation shared by three Native American tribes.
About half their 16,000 members live on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation atop one of the biggest U.S. oil discoveries in decades, North Dakota’s Bakken shale formation.
The drilling rush has brought the tribes unimagined wealth -- more than $1.5 billion and counting -- and they hope it will last another 20 to 25 years. The boom also propelled an almost tenfold spike in oil production from Native American lands since 2009, federal data shows, complicating efforts by President Joe Biden to curb carbon emissions.
Burning of oil from tribal lands overseen by the U.S. government now produces greenhouse gases equivalent to about 12 million vehicles a year, according to an Associated Press analysis. But Biden exempted Native American lands from a suspension of new oil and gas leases on government-managed land in deference to tribes’ sovereign status.
A judge in Louisiana temporarily blocked the suspension June 15, but the administration continues to develop plans that could extend the ban or make leases more costly.
With tribal lands now producing more than 3% of U.S. oil and huge reserves untapped, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland — the first Native American to lead a U.S. cabinet-level agency — faces competing pressures to help a small number of tribes develop their fossil fuels while also addressing climate change that affects all Native communities.
“We’re one of the few tribes that have elected to develop our energy resources. That’s our right,” tribal Chairman Mark Fox told AP at the opening of a Fort Berthold museum and cultural center built with oil revenue. “We can develop those resources and do it responsibly so our children and grandchildren for the next 100 years have somewhere to live.”
Smallpox nearly wiped out the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribes in the mid-1800s. They lost most of their territory to broken treaties — and a century later, their best remaining lands along the Missouri River were flooded when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created Lake Sakakawea. With dozens of villages uprooted, many people moved to a replacement community above the lake — New Town.
Today, leaders of the three tribes view oil as their salvation and want to keep drilling before it's depleted and the world moves past fossil fuels.
And they want the Biden administration to speed up drilling permits and fend off efforts to shut down a pipeline carrying most reservation oil to refineries.
PIPELINE FIGHT
Yet tribes left out of the drilling boom have become outspoken against fossil fuels as climate change worsens. One is the Standing Rock Sioux about 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the south.
Home to the Dakota and Lakota nations, Standing Rock gained prominence during a months-long standoff between law enforcement and protesters, including tribal officials, who tried to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline that carries Fort Berthold crude.
A judge revoked the pipeline's government permit because of inadequate environmental analysis and allowed crude to flow during a new review. But Standing Rock wants the administration to halt the oil for good, fearing a pipeline break could contaminate its drinking water.
Meantime, attention surrounding the skirmish provided the Sioux with foundation backing to develop a wind farm in Porcupine Hills, an area of scrub oak and buffalo grass with cattle ranches.
The pipeline fight stirs bitter memories in Fawn Wasin Zi, a teacher who chairs the Standing Rock renewable power authority. She grew up hearing her father and grandmother tell about a government dam that created Lake Oahe — how they had to leave their home then watch government agents burn it, only to be denied housing, electricity and other promised compensation.
Wasin Zi, whose ancestors followed legendary Lakota leader Sitting Bull, wants to ensure the tribe doesn't fall victim yet again to a changing world, where fossil fuels warm the planet and bring drought and wildfire.
“We have to find a way to use the technology that's available right now, whether it's geothermal or solar or wind," she said.
Only a dozen of the 326 tribal reservations produce significant oil, according to a drilling analysis provided to AP by S&P Global Platts.
Biden's nominee to oversee them as assistant secretary for Indian affairs, Bryan Newland, recently told a U.S. Senate committee the administration recognizes the importance of oil and gas to some reservations and pledged to let tribes determine resource development.
Interior officials denied interview requests about tribal energy plans, but said tribes were consulted in April after Biden ordered the department to "engage with tribal authorities" on developing renewables and fossil fuels.
Joseph McNeill Jr, manager of Standing Rock’s energy authority, said a conference call with Interior yielded no pledges to further the tribe's wind project. Fort Berthold officials said they've had no offers of discussions with the administration.
ONE TRIBE'S BUILDING BOOM
Fort Berthold still reels from ills oil brought — worse crime and drugs, tanker truck traffic, road fatalities, spills of oil and wastewater. Tribal members lament that stars are lost in the glare of flaring waste gas from wells.
Yet oil brought positive changes, too. As the tribes' coffers fattened, dozens of projects got underway. The reservation now boasts new schools, senior centers, parks, civic centers, health and drug rehab facilities. Oil money is building a $26 million greenhouse complex heated by electricity from gas otherwise wasted.
The $30 million cultural center in New Town pieces together the tribes’ fractured past through displays and artifacts. A sound studio captures stories from elders who lived through dam construction and flooding along the Missouri. And one exhibit traces the oil boom after fracking allowed companies to tap reserves once too difficult to drill.
“Our little town, New Town, changed overnight,” said MHA Nation Interpretive Center Director Delphine Baker. “We never had traffic lights growing up. It's like I moved to a different town.”
HOPING FOR “MORNING LIGHT”
Lower on the Missouri, Standing Rock grapples with high energy costs. There’s no oil worth extracting, no gas or coal. The biggest employer beside tribal government is a casino, where revenue plummeted during the pandemic.
“There’s nothing here. No jobs. Nothing,” said Donald Whitelightning, Jr., who lives in Cannon Ball, near the Dakota Access Pipeline protest.
Whitelightning, who cares for his mother in a modest home, said he pays up to $500 a month for electricity in winter. Utility costs, among North Dakota's highest, severely strain a reservation officials say has 40% poverty and 75% unemployment.
The tribe hopes its wind project, Anpetu Wi, meaning “morning light,” will help. Officials predict its 235 megawatts — enough for roughly 94,000 homes — would double their annual revenue and fund benefits like those Fort Berthold derives from oil — housing, health care, more jobs.
Standing Rock's power authority can directly negotiate aspects of the project. Yet it needs Interior approval because the U.S. holds tribal lands in trust.
“AN OIL FIELD TO PROTECT”
Outside North Dakota, tribes with oil — the Osage in Oklahoma, the Navajo in the Southwest and Native corporations in Alaska — also are pushing the Biden administration to cede power over energy development, including letting tribes conduct environmental reviews.
A Navajo company's operations in the Aneth field in southern Utah bring about $28 million to $35 million annually. Active since the 1950s, the field likely has another 30 years of life, said James McClure, chief executive of the Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Co..
The company has considered expanding into federal land in New Mexico and Colorado. Biden’s attempts to suspend new leases could slow those plans, and it’s considering helium production as an option.
In northern Oklahoma, the Osage have been drilling oil for more than a century.
Cognizant of global warming and shifting energy markets, they are pondering renewables, too. For now, they want the Biden administration to speed up drilling permits.
“We are looking at what is going to be best for us,” said Everett Waller, chairman of the tribe’s energy regulator. “I wasn’t given a wind turbine. I was given an oil field to protect.”
___
Fonseca reported from Flagstaff, Ariz.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Matthew Brown And Felicia Fonseca, The Associated Press
IT'S FREE ONLINE
Dan Levy called this Indigenous studies course 'transformational' – here's how you can take it, too
hello-canada
Dan Levy called the University of Alberta's Indigenous Canada course "transformational" when he took it last year. The free 12-lesson online class "explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations," and if you're curious about learning more about Canada's Indigenous peoples, it's a great place to start.
Taught by Dr. Tracy Bear and Dr. Paul Gareau, it examines Indigenous creation stories and worldviews, cultures and history, including the residential school system. It also looks at issues faced by Indigenous women and girls, and the way forward through reconciliation, among other topics.
The University of Alberta has the only Indigenous studies faculty in North America. While other post-secondary institutions have schools of Indigenous studies, U of A's is the only dedicated faculty.
Last year, the Schitt's Creek star and creator also encouraged fans to donate to the faculty, saying he would match all contributions up to a maximum of $25,000.
"If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we need to actively relearn history – history that wasn't taught to us in school – to better understand and contextualize our lives and to better support and be of service to each other," he said at the time.
Dan Levy called this Indigenous studies course 'transformational' – here's how you can take it, too
hello-canada
Dan Levy called the University of Alberta's Indigenous Canada course "transformational" when he took it last year. The free 12-lesson online class "explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations," and if you're curious about learning more about Canada's Indigenous peoples, it's a great place to start.
Taught by Dr. Tracy Bear and Dr. Paul Gareau, it examines Indigenous creation stories and worldviews, cultures and history, including the residential school system. It also looks at issues faced by Indigenous women and girls, and the way forward through reconciliation, among other topics.
The University of Alberta has the only Indigenous studies faculty in North America. While other post-secondary institutions have schools of Indigenous studies, U of A's is the only dedicated faculty.
Last year, the Schitt's Creek star and creator also encouraged fans to donate to the faculty, saying he would match all contributions up to a maximum of $25,000.
"If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we need to actively relearn history – history that wasn't taught to us in school – to better understand and contextualize our lives and to better support and be of service to each other," he said at the time.
Earlier this month, U of A released a playlist with Dan, Tracy and Paul talking about each class, for those who are curious about the star's experiences last year.
U of A says you can enroll and join the course anytime.
U of A says you can enroll and join the course anytime.
REST IN POWER
Longtime Havasupai leader was staunch advocate for his tribeFLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A longtime leader of the Havasupai Tribe who fought to protect its resources by lobbying against mining around the Grand Canyon and snowmaking at an Arizona ski resort has died.
© Provided by The Canadian Press
Services for Rex Tilousi begin Friday with a traditional wake at the family’s home in the village of Supai, followed by public events and burial over the weekend at the Grand Canyon, where Tilousi retired as a cultural interpreter for the national park.
Services for Rex Tilousi begin Friday with a traditional wake at the family’s home in the village of Supai, followed by public events and burial over the weekend at the Grand Canyon, where Tilousi retired as a cultural interpreter for the national park.
“He’s going to be there to protect it for eternity, so that provided some comfort to the family,” said his niece, Carletta Tilousi.
Tilousi died last week of natural causes with his family at his side, she said. He was 73.
Tilousi served as a tribal leader for more than 30 years, including multiple stints as chairman and vice chairman of the small tribe whose reservation lies deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon.
He also was a spiritual leader, working to preserve the tribe’s way of life, its songs and the Grand Canyon that was home to the Havasupai before it became a national park, the tribe said. Friends, family and co-workers remembered him as a peaceful, kind-hearted man with a warm and welcoming spirit.
When Tilousi wrapped up interpretive talks at the Grand Canyon, visitors would follow him yearning for more, said Jan Balsom, a senior adviser at the park.
“I joked about him being a buddha,” she said. “He had this effect on people. As they listened to him, they were brought into his world and his way of understanding the Grand Canyon.”
As an advocate, Tilousi sought to keep companies from mining near the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park and joined other tribes in speaking out against snowmaking at the Arizona Snowbowl outside Flagstaff. In both cases, he feared the tribe’s water resources could become contaminated and the tribe’s spiritual practices negatively affected.
The work took him to the Arizona Legislature and across the country and world, raising the profile of the Havasupai Tribe.
“He was very committed to voicing concerns on behalf of the animals and the water and the people,” Carletta Tilousi said. “He committed all his time to public service, and that was very impressive.”
The federal government ultimately approved snowmaking with reclaimed water. Uranium mining has been at a standstill while companies wait for prices to rebound.
Stephen Hirst, the author of a book on the Havasupai called “I am the Grand Canyon,” had been working with Tilousi to write down stories and remembrances, and record songs so that Havasupai children could have them.
“We didn’t get that project finished, unfortunately, but there are some amazing stories,” Hirst said.
Roger Clark recalled one of the first conversations he had with Tilousi, who asked Clark why he should trust him as a conservationist. Clark responded that Tilousi had no reason to trust him and said that while he cared about the Grand Canyon, he could learn a lot from Tilousi’s connection to the land.
“He smiled and said, ‘OK, Roger Ramjet,’” Clark said, referencing a classic cartoon character who was out to save the world.
“That really started our relationship in a humorous, compassionate and respectful way, and it got richer, from my point of view, from then on,” Clark said.
On the Havasupai reservation, Tilousi hunted, rode horses and shared Havasupai stories and culture that he had to learn later in life. Hirst said many tribal stories were passed down during the winter when children, including Tilousi, were away at boarding school.
“It was hard for him,” Hirst said. “So he became determined to do that — he learned old songs.”
Tilousi graduated from Phoenix Indian School in 1967. He later attended Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.
Tilousi and his wife, Rosella Sinyella Tilousi, had two daughters and four grandchildren. Tilousi and his wife, who died last year, will be buried alongside each other and near other Havasupai tribal members at the cemetery within Grand Canyon National Park.
The Associated Press
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)