Eco Report – September 15, 2023

Hello and welcome to Eco-Report. For W-F-H-B, I’m Julianna Dailey. And I’m Noelle Herhusky-Schneider. In this edition of Eco Report, we will learn about sustainability measures taken by Jeff Mease of One World Enterprises to green his local food businesses in the second half of a recent interview with Environmental Correspondent Zyro Roze. That’s coming up later in the program. But, first we would like to talk to you about the WFHB Fall Fund Drive. And now for your environmental reports: In today’s show, I thought we should have some good news for you!  The Associated Press reports that In an aggressive move that angered Republicans, the Biden administration canceled the seven remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, overturning sales held in the Trump administration’s waning days, and proposed stronger protections against development on vast swaths of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The Department of Interior’s scrapping of the leases comes after the Biden administration appointed environmental groups earlier this year by approving the Willow oil project in the petroleum reserve, a massive project by ConocoPhillips Alaska that could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope. Protections are proposed for more than 20,000 square miles of land in the reserve in the western Arctic. Some critics who said the approval of Willow flew in the face of Biden’s pledges to address climate change lauded Wednesday’s announcement. But they said more could be done. Litigation over the approval of the Willow project is pending. “Alaska is home to many of America’s most breathtaking natural wonders and culturally significant areas. As the climate crisis warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, we have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages,” Biden said in a statement. —Norm Holy Jeff Mease, Founder/CEO of One World Enterprises Photo Courtesy of Eco Media Center of Monroe County   And now, we go to Zyro Roze as he asks Jeff Mease about integrating renewable energy, bicycle delivery and use of locally sourced ingredients for his pizza and catering operations here in Bloomington.