skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, May 20, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Gun-related injuries on the rise among Colorado children; Biden tells Morehouse graduates, that scenes in Gaza break his heart, too; Justice Dept. launches investigation into KY youth detention centers; MT marijuana revenue veto override fails as critics claim 'judicial overreach.'

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The GOP House votes to hold Attorney General Garland in contempt of Congress, Donald Trump again accuses Joe Biden of being on drugs, and many veterans say restrictive voter ID laws erode the democracy they fought for.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Americans are buying up rubber ducks ahead of Memorial Day, Nebraskans who want residential solar have a new lifeline, seven community colleges are working to provide students with a better experience, and Mississippi's "Big Muddy" gets restoration help.

Conservation group promotes 'Ports for People' ordinance

play audio
Play

Wednesday, February 14, 2024   

Groups concerned about air pollution and public health are asking the city councils of Long Beach and Los Angeles and their respective Harbor Commissions to pass major restrictions on air pollution from ships.

The "Ports for People" ordinance would require agencies to take steps to reduce pollution from cargo ships by 50% from 2019 levels by 2030, and to achieve 100% zero-emission shipping at the ports by 2040.

Dawny'all Heydari, climate campaign advocacy manager for the nonprofit Pacific Environment, said ships running on fuel oil and Liquefied Natural Gas need to be phased out.

"These fuels are filled with asthma and cancer-causing pollutants that are contaminating communities like my own in Long Beach with shorter life expectancy and childhood asthma," Heydari pointed out. "We're advocating for a transition to zero-emission fuels to power shipping."

This week, advocates gathered signatures in favor of the ordinance at Cal State Long Beach and presented them to the Long Beach Harbor Commission. They hope to spur the shipping industry to switch to greener alternatives, such as battery electrification, wind-assist propulsion and "green hydrogen" fuel cells.

Heydari noted Pacific Environment has had positive conversations with some members of the Long Beach City Council and hopes they will take bold action in the future.

"When California cities institute these kinds of regulations, it forces the industry to evolve because the industry is primarily concerned about its own profits," Heydari asserted. "It's not really primarily concerned about sustainability, nor public health."

A 2019 study from the City of Long Beach found the average life expectancy in West Long Beach next to the port is eight years shorter than the average in Los Angeles County.

A 2021 study by the California Air Resources Board found fuel pollution from pandemic-era cargo ship congestion at the San Pedro Ports caused an increase in particulate matter emissions equivalent to 100,000 semi tractor-trailers per day.

Disclosure: Pacific Environment contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Energy Policy, and Oceans. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Climate scientists in Maine said the state has already experienced 8 inches of sea level rise over the past century and could see an additional 1.5 more feet by 2050, with significant implications for coastal industries, tourism and home insurance rates. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Scientists said Maine's climate is getting warmer and wetter, with significant implications for human health and infrastructure. Data show the 10 …


Social Issues

play sound

Veterans and service members in New Hampshire said legislation to create one of the nation's strictest voter ID laws would be a betrayal of their sacr…

Social Issues

play sound

Massachusetts parents of children harmed by social media platforms are calling on Congress to advance the bipartisan "Kids Online Safety Act." The bi…


Both the American Public Health Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recognized firearm injuries and deaths as a significant public health crisis. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Firearm-related injuries in Colorado hit a peak in 2022, with over 7,000 health care claims and at a cost of $8.4 million, according to a new …

Social Issues

play sound

The U.S. Justice Department is launching an investigation into reports of physical and sexual abuse at Kentucky's eight youth detention centers - …

Environment

play sound

In the future, clean energy projects in Minnesota might come together more quickly, since state lawmakers have advanced a permitting reform measure…

Social Issues

play sound

New Yorkers could benefit from a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule. It caps credit card late fees at $8, or - at the credit card …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021