HEADLINES SAVIC, a chemical manufacturing giant tied to one of the world’s richest royal families, the one in Saudi Arabia, operates the SABIC Innovative Plastics facility in Mount Vernon, Indiana. The plant spews toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases into the surrounding community. ---Linda Greene In a finale to a Supreme Court term that radically reshaped American law, the court throttled the U.S. government’s power to act on the climate crisis. ---Norm Holy The Cape Fear River Basin in North Carolina is aptly named: the residents live in fear of developing cancer because the area is massively contaminated with a family of nine thousand chemicals in the class per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or P-F-A-S. ---Linda Greene The U.S. is beginning to expand the scope of wind-generated power, in this case, with offshore wind turbines. The only existing offshore towers are off Block Island, located at the eastern end of Long Island. Offshore wind power is common in Europe. The U.S. is holding its largest offshore wind sale yet off the coast of New York and New Jersey. ---Norm Holy A study by a unit of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup and other products, in over 80% of urine samples taken from over 23,000 people in the U-S. Scientists called the findings disturbing and concerning. ---Linda Greene According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, solar energy prices have fallen over 70 percent in the past decade. New solar installations have grown, but there is growing resistance in some communities because the panels are often placed on productive agricultural land. ---Norm Holy We have an update on a story we aired recently on a proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of public land, Nevada’s Green Basin, by giving them away to the U-S Navy and private developers for bombing, mining and industrialization. We are now pleased to report that the U-S House of Representatives Rules Committee has rebuffed the proposal. ---Linda Greene Twice during the last week, Texans were asked to cut back their energy use, including turning up the thermostats on their air conditioners during a scorching three-digit heat wave, to avoid blackouts as the state’s power grid operator struggled  to satisfy a surging demand for electricity. ---Norm Holy July sixteenth marked the 77th anniversary of the Trinity atomic bomb test in New Mexico, and New Mexicans, led by the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, commemorated it with a town hall and candlelight vigil in Tularosa. The event memorialized those who died of cancer resulting from exposure to the radioactive fallout from the explosion. ---Linda Greene

CALENDAR

A Fossils at the Falls Hike at McCormick’s Creek State Park is scheduled for Friday, July 22nd, at Noon.  Learn about the ancient origins of the park’s landscape through a closer look of features unveiled by the forces of water.  The hike meets at the Canyon Inn entrance.

Join the Indiana Raptor Center for an exciting evening with some of Indiana’s predatory birds at Brown County State Park on Saturday, July 23rd, from 7 to 8:30 pm.  See multiple live raptors, hear what threats they face, and learn about how you can help and appreciate these incredible animals.  Seating is not provided.  Bring your own chairs or blankets.

Learn all about our Marvelous Mushrooms on a hike at Spring Mill State Park on Sunday, July 24th, from 11 am to Noon.  Meet at the Lakeview Activity Center front patio.  On the hike on Trail 2, you will learn about mushrooms and why they are important.  Find out which ones are poisonous and which ones are good to eat.

Participate in a Kayak Recovery Workshop on Sunday, July 24th, from 1:30 to 4 pm at the Paynetown Recreation Area at Monroe Lake.  This workshop is for people who have basic kayaking skills but can’t figure ...