skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

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

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Panel: End Our Addiction to Fossil Fuels

play audio
Play

Friday, June 18, 2010   

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Calling it the high price of cheap oil, a panel of experts at the recent public forum, called Gulf Oil Spill: From Crisis to Solutions, talked about the damages from the Deepwater Horizon Spill and the need to find new alternatives to fossil fuel.

One of the speakers was Cynthia Sarthou, executive director of Gulf Restoration Network, based in New Orleans. She spoke about the need for more federal oversight, the catastrophic impact of the spill on both the environment and the economy, and the need for a different energy future.

"We need to diversify our energy sources so that we, slowly but surely, wean ourselves off of our addiction to fossil fuels, which are dirty. They carry health costs, they carry an environmental cost, and they're becoming riskier."

Sarthou warns that, as oil companies are forced to drill deeper, the risk of another major spill increases. Critics argue that, while accidents do happen, they are generally manageable. Oil companies say new technologies are being developed, but perhaps not as quickly during the slow economy, and argue oil expoloration is occuring in deep water in large part because environmental regulations keep it from shallower depths.

Still, Sarthou notes that oil production takes a toll on the health of both people and animals. In states with oil production, she says, the risk of cancer is higher. This oil spill reportedly has already killed or injured more than 1000 birds, 380 sea turtles and 41 dolphins, but Sarthou estimates the number is twice that high.

"Most of the animals, mammals and birds that are affected by the oil will never be found. They sink to the bottom of the ocean or they float at the surface and are never seen."

Sarthou says the full cost of the Deepwater Horizon spill will not be known for years to come, but reducing dependence on fossil fuels could help lower the risk of another spill. Although developing renewable energy technologies is creating new markets around the world, the United States is lagging behind, she adds.

"Places like China have realized that there's an economic opportunity here, and they're taking advantage of that, and if the United States does not soon take that opportunity, we're going to be left behind."

Investing in renewable energy like wind, solar and biofuels would not only reduce the nation's dependence on oil, Sarthou adds, but also would help jump-start the economy and create new jobs.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

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