EPA proposes ‘strongest ever’ standards for keeping coal plant pollution out of U.S. waterways & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Friday, March 10, 2023 “We never know the worth of water until the well is dry.” — Thomas Fuller EPA Proposes ‘Strongest Ever’ Standards for Keeping Coal Plant Pollution Out of U.S. Waterways When [wastewater]( from [coal-fired plants]( is released into wider waterways, it can have serious consequences. [Environmental toxins]( including mercury, arsenic, bromide and chloride can pollute [drinking water]( and aquatic habitats, causing [cancer]( and other ailments in humans and making it harder for [wildlife]( to reproduce. [Read More]( Related: [China Approved Two New Coal Plants per Week in 2022, Study Finds]( Rising Temperatures Due to Climate Change Will Reduce Coffee Production Globally, Study Suggests Humans have been drinking [coffee]( for hundreds of years, and in that time the rich, aromatic beverage has become not only a way to start the day, but part of culture all over the world. Coffee is so much a part of some people’s routine that they couldn’t imagine the day without it. But with rising global temperatures due to [climate change]( the world’s coffee supply is becoming less reliable. [Read More]( Related: [A Brief Guide to the Impacts of Climate Change on Food Production]( Red Tide Returns to Florida Beaches Earlier and Stronger Than Normal The phenomenon known as [red tide]( — caused by large amounts of the toxic [algae]( Karenia brevis — has come earlier than usual to Florida this year, and in concentrations that are higher than normal. The harmful algae produce [brevetoxins]( that can kill [marine life]( and pose health problems for humans, reported BBC News. [Read More]( Related: [California Sea Lions Sickened in Toxic Red Tide Crisis]( Plastic Consumption Could Nearly Double by 2050 Without Ambitious UN Treaty Negotiators working on a legally binding [United Nations treaty]( to end [plastic pollution]( will need to be as ambitious as possible with the final document. That’s the main takeaway from a new report from [Back to Blue]( — a collaboration between Economist Impact and the Nippon Foundation — released Monday. The report modeled what would happen to plastic consumption in 19 G20 countries if three significant policy proposals were included in the treaty and found that they still were not enough to reduce consumption by 2050. [Read More]( Related: [‘Unprecedented Levels’ of Plastics Entered World’s Oceans After 2005, Study Finds]( NREL’s Desalination Device Makes Waves In 2019, the U.S. Department of Energy initiated the [Waves to Water Prize](. The contest’s goal was to encourage the development of small desalination systems which could help coastal communities in times of climate disaster and recovery and also to help provide clean drinking water to areas where water is scarce. In April of 2022, after 114 teams entered the contest, a winner was crowned: [Oneka](. [Read More]( Related: [World’s Freshwater Ecosystems Contaminated With Salt Pollution Despite Government Guidelines]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](