This Week On Earth: Feb 15-21
OHIO – Earlier this month, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The train was carrying several toxic chemicals. The most concerning was a flammable gas, vinyl chloride: one of the twenty largest petrochemicals in the world. Petrochemicals are any chemicals manufactured from fuel and only used for commercial purposes. The gas burns easily, so residents along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border were forced to evacuate in fear of a large explosion. In addition, inhalation of the chemical can cause severe and life-threatening respiratory issues. A few days after the crash on Feb. 6, authorities drained toxic chemicals from five tanker cars to reduce the risk of an explosion. However, there are still serious concerns about air, water, and soil pollution. The train was operated by Norfolk Southern, and the Environmental Protection Agency declared that they are responsible for all the cleanup and incurring costs. Norfolk Southern has publicly accepted responsibility and committed $6 million to cleanup efforts, and the company’s CEO has pledged to see the recovery through. The evacuation order has been lifted since Feb. 8, but residents are still complaining of health issues caused by the contamination. The Ohio EPA is testing the water supply in East Palestine weekly, and has stated that there is currently no risk of contamination to Ohio residents, but will continue to monitor the air and water quality in the area.
TEXAS – Cotton farmers in Texas suffered severe losses in production after record droughts and heat waves in 2022. Texas is the hub for cotton production in the United States, and is sold around the world to produce various products, including most tampons. Cotton farmers were forced to abandon over 70% of their crops due to unimaginable heatwaves. Due to the lack of cotton in the market, the prices of tampons have driven up almost 13% in the last year. Texas is not the only major cotton producer that has been affected by the effects of climate change. Pakistan, the world’s sixth largest producer of cotton, has been hit with devastating floods in the last year destroying a third of the country’s crop production. Climate change is driving up inflation costs and affecting consumers, and will continue to do so as extreme weather conditions impact crops and affect production capacities.
GERMANY – Mcdonalds joined the race of fast food chains offering more plant-based food items in 2021 with the launch of the McPlant burger, a burger co-developed with Beyond meat. They took it one step further Wednesday of this week by launching plant-based McNuggets in several restaurants in Germany. These nuggets are made from peas, corn and wheat. However, it is looking unlikely that U.S. customers will get to try the new product themselves. McDonalds discontinued the McPlant burger in the United States because of slow sales in 2022, and they haven’t announced plans to bring back non-meat options in its U.S. locations anytime soon. Many fast food chains are switching over to more vegetarian and vegan-friendly options to appeal to a wider audience. Chick-Fil-A announced a new cauliflower sandwich two weeks ago, Starbucks features an Impossible Breakfast sandwich, and Burger King released a plant-based Whopper.