Protecting Workers From Extreme Heat

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The federal Occupational Security and Well being Administration proposed new guidelines to guard some 36 million staff from excessive warmth. The principles, introduced final week, are the primary aimed toward stopping heat-related deaths and sicknesses on the job, and are available as excessive warmth has enveloped a lot of the US.

The principles would require employers to offer staff with water and shaded or air-conditioned areas to take breaks when temperatures at indoor or outside work websites attain 80 levels. If temperatures climbed to 90 levels, they must assure staff 15-minute breaks each two hours and monitor them for heat-related sicknesses.

“Staff all around the nation are passing out, struggling warmth stroke and dying from warmth publicity from simply doing their jobs, and something must be done to protect them,” Assistant Secretary for Occupational Security and Well being Douglas Parker stated in a press release.

The principles would defend the tens of millions of people that work in warehouses, factories and development websites, in addition to those that ship packages, restore energy strains and choose greens. OSHA developed the brand new rules over the previous two years on the urging of public well being and local weather advocates.

However they’re prone to face opposition from companies and commerce teams, bolstered by a recent Supreme Court ruling that swept away the deference courts owe to company rulemaking, in addition to from the potential that Donald Trump might win a second time period as president and block them from changing into ultimate.

Whereas the foundations are the primary to handle office warmth security on the federal degree, they comply with similar regulations at the state level in California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Washington.

The Massive Learn

Final yr, Elon Musk pledged to take motion to make sure there was no youngster labor at mines supplying cobalt to his firm – however activists say the corporate’s steps fall brief

“I heard a query raised about cobalt mining and you realize what? We are going to do a third-party audit,” the billionaire entrepreneur instructed a raucous, adoring crowd of shareholders at Tesla’s annual assembly in Could 2023. “In actual fact, we’ll put a webcam on the mine. If anyone sees any youngsters, please tell us,” he stated, laughing.

Musk’s promised webcam hasn’t materialized as anticipated. As a substitute, the Kamato Copper Co. that’s Tesla’s important cobalt supply posts a single picture of the sprawling mine advanced in southern Congo each month, taken by an Airbus satellite tv for pc orbiting far above the Earth. There aren’t any youngsters to be seen — as a result of the satellite tv for pc’s decision isn’t adequate to seize them.

Tesla has reported third-party critiques of its provide chain that declare there’s no youngster labor, however neither satellite tv for pc photos or third-party critiques handle ongoing issues with cobalt and copper mining, in keeping with Courtney Wicks, government director of Investor Advocates for Social Justice.

“Taking one image a month — it is probably not a complete plan,” Wicks instructed Forbes. Steps Tesla has taken “are usually not even price even mentioning. The effectiveness is simply not adequate at this stage.”

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Scorching Matter

Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Energy, an early mover in inexperienced hydrogen whose inventory has been hammered this yr, on gas for trucking and federal credit

Nikola’s increasing gas cell truck deliveries and Hyundai, Daimler, Volvo and Toyota plan to comply with go well with. When will they be capable to use cleaner hydrogen not constructed from pure gasoline?

Realistically, with what’s on the board now, it’s not going to be till the start of 2026. I’ll be promoting some to Nikola and we’re glad to try this. My guess is that they’ll use a number of gray hydrogen to begin however we’ll be capable to assist fill in.

With us approaching line it does relieve the strain with hydrogen provide. In case you assume every of these vans makes use of 30 kilograms a day, you may get 1,000 vans on the market with out worrying.

What’s taking place with the inexperienced hydrogen business within the U.S. this yr?

Not a lot proper now. All of the motion is in Europe and Australia. There’s actually very low motion within the U.S. proper now. I feel within the U.S., the entire unknown with what’s occurring with the tax credit score has actually delayed the exercise. I’m listening to from some sources there could possibly be some motion on that by Aug. 15. Perhaps, perhaps.

I feel you will most likely begin seeing non-public actual initiatives at scale in 2026 or 2027. U.S. firms are transferring a lot slower than in Europe. There could also be a couple of that make some progress, however I do not suppose you will see something within the U.S. at scale that’s actually thrilling till ‘26 or ‘27.

That’s as a result of the Treasury Division hasn’t issued ultimate tips for the $3/kilogram tax credit score for clear hydrogen?

There are many struggles when you do not know what the foundations are. It makes it actually powerful, and it goes two methods. If you do not know what the foundations are, even when it is a worthwhile challenge, you are scared to do something since you marvel should you’re leaving cash on the desk. So that they actually need to get readability.

What Else We’re Studying

Google’s emissions climb nearly 50% in 5 years on account of AI vitality demand

U.S. examines carbon pricing on imports, local weather envoy says

Amazon sidesteps the carbon offset standard that Bezos helped fund

Low-lying tropical islands have been anticipated to fade. Local weather science tells one other story

Dengue fever is surging worldwide. A warmer planet will make it worse

IPO watchlist: The local weather tech startups most likely to go public

Tesla sales fall again as extra automakers crowd electrical automobile market

Nikola’s hydrogen fuel cell truck deliveries surge in Q2, beating expectations

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