 People
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Fliers posted around Capitol Hill poke fun at EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
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Despite Scandals, Pruitt Hangs On. But Is He Effective?
The scandal around EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt showed no signs of abating over the weekend. The latest revelation, courtesy of the Washington Post and Associated Press, is that his security detail has cost the taxpayers more than $3 million dollars so far when overtime and frequent travel for the agents who protect the Environmental Protection Agency administrator 24/7 are included. His security force detail now consists of 18 full-time agents who provide coverage for him whether he is on official business or off duty. This is three times as many agents as prior Administrators utilized. The AP reported that given Pruitt’s busy travel schedule and frequent trips home to Oklahoma, many agents racked up so much overtime that they hit annual salary caps of about $160,000. The President tweeted his support on Saturday. But on Sunday, three Republican Senators -- Senators John Neely Kennedy (La.), Lindsey O. Graham (S.C.) and Susan Collins (Maine) -- voiced concern about Pruitt’s conduct.
Administrator Pruitt has hung on through this media storm because he is widely seen as being effective at rolling back environmental regulations in favor of polluters, something the President promised to do. We here at ODP regularly report on all the ways Administrator Pruitt is turning back the clock on environmental progress in the U.S. But Michael Grunwald argues in Politico Magazine that Pruitt's rollbacks have been more about grabbing headlines than doing the hard work of regulating, which takes time and diligence. “You can’t just govern by press release. You have to do the hard work of developing a rule that can withstand judicial scrutiny, even though it isn’t sexy,” says State Energy & Environmental Impact Center director David Hayes, an Interior Department official in the Clinton and Obama administrations.
Why This Matters: The latest assessment of Pruitt by the media could be far more damning to his supporters than any of the ethical lapses. If, in fact, Pruitt has done little in the job other than make a series paper announcements and poorly executed decisions that can be easily reversed in court, then perhaps he will increasingly be seen as expendable. What is completely false -- despite the President's claims -- is that Pruitt has created "record clean Air & Water while saving USA Billions of Dollars."
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Scott Pruitt attempts to defend himself in an interview on Fox News.
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 Water
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Bottled water is packaged for shipment at the Nestlé Water bottling plant in Stanwood, MI. Photo: Steven M. Herppich/AFP
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Nestlé's Shady Operations
While residents in Flint, Michigan are still relying on bottled water, the state has approved Nestlé's plan to increase the amount of water it draws from its White Pine Springs well for the bottled water it sells. Under the plan, Nestlé will be approved to pump up to 400 gallons of water per minute from the well, rather than the 250 gallons per minute it had been extracting--a permit for which it will pay a mere $200 per year.
As Earther reported, right now, the state is considering whether to end Flint’s water bottle distribution program, which it launched after the crisis began and spends $22,000 a day to provide water to residents who are still advised to filter their tap water because it contains elevated lead levels--most still rely on bottled water. Residents of Flint must still pay their monthly water bills—which a 2016 study found was the highest in the country. On average, people paid $864 a year (more than 3X what Nestlé pays to pump for the year!). Bills include service and connection fees that don’t go away if residents are barely using their tap water.
Nestlé's request to the state of Michigan spurred a record number of public comments — with 80,945 against and 75 in favor. Still, the state sided with Nestlé.
Why This Matters: As Bloomberg wrote in an exposé last year (really good piece if you want to learn more), this illuminates how Nestlé has come to dominate a controversial industry, spring by spring, often going into economically depressed municipalities with the promise of jobs and new infrastructure in exchange for tax breaks and access to a resource that’s scarce for millions.
Go Deeper: Nestlé has also come under fire for pumping water from drought-stricken California's aquifers and last year was sued by 11 plaintiffs for mislabeling its Poland Springs brand as "spring water" when it's actually ordinary groundwater pumped “in low-lying populated areas near potential sources of contamination,” including a landfill and ash pile.
What You Can Do: Total bottled water volume rose about 9% to 12.8 billion gallons in 2016, compared with a year earlier which could be avoided if people drank filtered tap water instead (where it's safe to do so). Check out this roundup of reusable water bottles with built-in filters to take your water to go.
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 Land
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Cherry Trees in Peak Bloom
DC's famous cherry blossoms were in full bloom this past weekend and I (Miro) braved the crowds to snap my annual picture--always worth the traffic/allergy medicine!
Did You Know? That the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin were the result of the diplomatic efforts of David Fairchild, a food explorer with the United States Department of Agriculture? According to NatGeo, Fairchild, who was enchanted by the sakura blossoms, spearheaded an effort to landscape the DC area with cherry trees and make it a gesture of diplomacy between the United States and Japan. In 1909 with the support of President and First Lady Taft, Fairchild facilitated an initial shipment of 2,000 cherry trees from Japan that had to end up being burned because their roots became infested with insects on their journey across the Pacific. The second gift of 3,000 trees from Tokyo mayor Yukio Ozaki were planted around the Tidal Basin in 1912 and it took only 2 years for them to become cherished by the public and a spring tradition. As a reciprocal gesture, the United States offered Japan a shipment of native flowering dogwoods that also have vibrant blossoms each spring.
The DC cherry blossoms have endured for over a hundred years, each tree replaced by clones and cuttings every quarter century to keep them spry. As the trees grew, so did a cottage industry around them: gardeners, a public relations team, and weather monitoring officials to forecast “peak bloom”—an occasion around which tourists would be encouraged to plan their visits.
Why This Matters: The national cherry blossoms have been a beloved tradition for all Americans to come see even amidst difficult times. A New York Times editorial from April 2, 1939 (when Hitler’s armies had just annexed Czechoslovakia) put it quite poignantly:
"Spring comes to other capitals. Democracy does not hurry it by a day, nor could a dictatorship hold it back. But comes to Washington, as any observer just now may conclude, with a special grace. For there, at this time of year, in spite of depressions, unemployment and unbalanced budget, one catches sight of a tranquil and expectant America."
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Indigenous Peoples
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A whaler waits for the bowhead whales in Alaska, during whaling season. Photo: Steven J. Kazlowski, Alamy
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Whale Whisperers
Today, scientists are trying to learn more about the way indigenous people interact with animals, and better understand the beliefs of many indigenous cultures that animals have the capacity for thoughts and feelings. Hakai Magazine and Smithsonian.com, report that Arctic people have been communicating with whales for centuries, and now scientists and archaeologists are starting to study these stories in much greater detail. “If you start looking at the relationship between humans and animals from the perspective that Indigenous people themselves may have had, it reveals a rich new universe,” says Matthew Betts, an archaeologist with the Canadian Museum of History who studies Paleo-Eskimo cultures in the Canadian Arctic.
Medieval literature depicted the Arctic as a land of monster fish and people who could use magical powers to call to the animals. There was a sense of mythology and mysticism that is depicted in whaling amulets and other historic artifacts, but previously scientists paid them little attention. But they are not being dismissed any longer. Biologists today are confirming whale behaviors and traits that Indigenous people have attributed to whales for more than 1,000 years. Among them is Hal Whitehead, a professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia who argues that cetaceans have their own culture—a word typically reserved for human societies.
Why This Matters: Whales are wondrous and mystical creatures even in our own western cultural heritage -- just think of the biblical story of Jonah and the whale. The traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples is more accurate than we have given it credit for and deserves even more study. For thousands of years, the Arctic people survived in harsh, icebound conditions there, so we would be wise to try to learn from them.
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 Oceans
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The Andrey Dolgov, flying the flag of Togo, on April 8 in Indonesia. Photo: Antara/Ampelsa
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Most Wanted Pirate Ship Captured in Indonesia
The Indonesian Navy apprehended a "stateless" fishing vessel, known to authorities as STS-50, as it headed into their waters on Saturday, according to the Jakarta Post. Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said on Saturday the arrest was made after Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) notified the Indonesian government that the ship was heading its way. The ship is one that is on the "most wanted" list of pirate vessels illegally fishing around the world by Interpol, the international police organization, a cooperation between 192 nations to fight terrorism, cybercrime and human rights crimes that cross international boundaries.
This was one of the most notorious illegal vessels in the world -- wanted for illegally fishing in Antarctic waters. When apprehended, it had 20 crew members onboard, 14 of which are Indonesian while the remaining six are Russian. The vessel was equipped with 600 sets of gill nets. Each gill net is 50 meters long, indicating that the ship has the capacity to sweep up to 30 square kilometers in the water. Under a global treaty covering the oceans, Indonesia's government has the authority to take any measures on the stateless vessel, either reusing it or sinking it. Minister Susi has made a name for herself by blowing up illegal vessels the Indonesian government has seized in the past.
Why This Matters: This arrest shows that increasingly, illegal fishing vessels will be apprehended and brought to justice. With greater cooperation and commitment, pirate ships like this one will be taken out of the water. This problem is solvable provided there is increasing coordination among nations and global law enforcement authorities and tough sanctions against those who are judged to be guilty. Indonesia and Minister Susi are leading the world on this front.
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 Animals
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One Funny Thing--Wishing You an Otterly Pleasant Monday
Last Friday, the Monterey Bay Aquarium created their own adorable version of the trending American Chopper meme that incorporated ocean conservation and instantly went viral. It also spurred an entire tweetstorm of more ocean memes and a medley of sea otter gifs:
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