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Sixteen states are suing the Biden administration over the gas permit pause

Albert Elence — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 01:19:29 +0000

Louisiana and 15 other Republican-led states sued the Biden administration on Thursday over its decision to temporarily stop approving new permits for facilities that export liquefied natural gas.

The The lawsuit alleges that the Biden administration acted illegally when it decided in January to suspend approvals so it could study how gas exports affect climate change, the economy and national security.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, asks a judge to end the pause, arguing that the White House had ignored the rulemaking process and instead taken action ‘by fiat’ .

“There is no legal basis for the pause,” Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth B. Murrill, who led the legal challenge, said in an interview.

Ms. Murrill, who called the pause a ban, said suspending permits for a period of time would hurt states’ economies and have significant long-term consequences abroad by restricting the supply of gas from the United States to Europe.

The United States is the largest exporter of natural gas in the world. Liquefied natural gas is a gas that has been cooled to a liquid state to enable transportation and storage. Even with the pause, the country is still on track to nearly double its export capacity by 2027 thanks to projects already permitted and under construction. But any expansion beyond that is now in doubt.

“I’m not sure the American people are feeling the pain of this particular decision yet, but it is part of a larger plan by this administration to destroy the fossil fuel industry,” Ms. Murrill said.

The White House and Department of Energy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The pause on new export permits came after months of protests from environmentalists, who argued that adding new gas export facilities and expanding existing ones would mean decades of additional greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of climate change.

“People in every corner of the country and the world are suffering the devastating toll of climate change,” Biden said in January. “This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.”

The decision has angered the oil industry, Republicans and some Democrats. Pennsylvania senators, Democrats John Fetterman and Bob Casey, issued a rare statement opposing Mr. Biden during the recess. Sen. Joe Manchin III, a Democrat who represents the coal- and gas-rich state of West Virginia, said at an energy conference in Houston this week that “there needs to be a pause.”

John Podesta, Mr. Biden’s senior adviser on climate change, said this week that the White House was not surprised by the response.

“We definitely went in with our eyes open,” he said. Mr Podesta argued that it would be “wise” for the government to take the time to study the effect of gas on the climate.

Gas, which consists mainly of methane, is cleaner than coal when burned. But methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide in the short term. It can also leak anywhere in the supply chain, such as in the production pit, processing plants and the hob. The process of liquefying gas for transportation is also energy intensive, creating even more emissions.

In addition to Louisiana, the states contesting the pause are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The states argued that a decision of such magnitude should have gone through a rulemaking process, during which states, industry and others could have publicly commented and had a chance to shape a decision.

The states argued that the “whims of activists cannot override the law.” The Natural Gas Act of 1938 calls for the Secretary of the Energy Department to issue an export permit unless it is determined after a hearing that the project is not in the public interest.

Brad Plumer contributed reporting from Houston.

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Climate change is ‘off the charts’: Damning report reveals how records were smashed for greenhouse gas emissions, global temperatures and sea level rise in 2023 – and scientists warn ‘changes are speeding up’

Albert Elence — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 23:22:38 +0000

Climate change is ‘off the charts’ and presents a ‘defining challenge’ to humanity, a damning new report warns today.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says several climate records were broken and in some cases ‘smashed’ last year.

Greenhouse gas levels, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rises, and Antarctic ice loss all escalating in 2023 due to fossil fuel emissions.

‘Sirens are blaring across all major indicators,’ said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

‘Some records aren’t just chart-topping, they’re chart-busting – and changes are speeding-up.’

From greenhouse gas emissions to air surface temperatures, climate change indicators reached record levels in 2023

The WMO’s State of the Global Climate report, published today, confirms that the year 2023 broke ‘every single climate indicator’.

TEMPERATURES

WMO confirmd that 2023 was the warmest year on record, as already announced by the UN’s Copernicus climate change programme in January.

The global average near-surface air temperature for the year was at 2.61°F (1.45°C) above the pre-industrial average (1850 to 1900).

Before 2023, the two previous warmest years were 2016 (2.32°F/1.29°C above the 1850–1900 average) and 2020 (2.28°F/1.27°F above the 1850–1900 average).

What’s more, the past nine years – between 2015 and 2023 – were the nine warmest years on record.

But the experts admit that the shift to ‘El Niño’ conditions in the middle of 2023 contributed to a rapid rise in temperature from 2022 to 2023.

El Niño is natural climate phenomenon where there’s warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator.

This graph shows annual global mean temperature anomalies (relative to 1850–1900) from 1850 to 2023. Data is from six temperature data sets, including the UK Met Office’s HadCRUT5

Global map of the planet’s oceans, showing the highest marine heatwaves in 2023, from moderate in yellow to extreme in dark brown

Why are temperatures compared to ‘pre-industrial’ levels?

Pre-industrial levels act as a benchmark for how much the Earth’s climate has changed.

The pre-industrial period is typically defined as the time before human activities – such as burning coal for heat – began to have a significant impact on the Earth’s climate.

By comparing current temperatures to pre-industrial temperatures, experts can isolate the effects of human activity from natural climate variability.

GREENHOUSE GASES

Temperatures are largely fueled by greenhouse gas emissions, and these continued to climb in 2023.

WMO says data for concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases in the air (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) are not yet available for the whole of 2023, but in 2022 they reached ‘new highs’.

Globally averaged concentrations were 417.9 parts per million (ppm) for carbon dioxide (CO2), 1,923 parts per billion (ppb) for methane (CH4), and 335.8 ppb for nitrous oxide (N2O).

Respectively, this marks an alarming rise of 150 per cent, 264 per cent and 124 per cent compared with greenhouse gas concentrations levels in the year 1750.

‘For more than 250 years, the burning of oil, gas and coal has filled the atmosphere with greenhouse gasses,’ said Dr Friederike Otto, climate lecturer at Imperial College London, who wasn’t involved in the report.

‘The result is the dire situation we are in today – a rapidly heating climate with dangerous weather, suffering ecosystems and rising sea-levels, as outlined by the WMO report.

‘To stop things from getting worse, humans need to stop burning fossil fuels. It really is that simple.

‘If we do not stop burning fossil fuels, the climate will continue to warm, making life more dangerous, more unpredictable, and more expensive for billions of people on earth.’

OCEAN HEAT

Although the main metric for measuring how hot the planet is getting is air temperatures, WMO also tracks how hot the world’s waters are getting.

Numerous adverse effects result from ocean warming, including accelerated melting of Earth’s ice sheets and sea level rise due to thermal expansion.

Ocean species are also threatened, including coral which become ‘bleached’ white due to the stress of higher temperatures.

When the ocean environment changes – if it gets too hot, for instance – coral stresses out and expels algae which makes it turn white. Pictured, coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef during a mass bleaching event in 2017

This graph shows anomalies in the heat of Earth’s oceans (relative to the 2005–2021 average) between 1960 and 2023

Meanwhile, CO2 dissolving in the ocean causes acidification of the waters, which makes it harder for marine life such as lobsters, shrimp and coral reefs to survive.

WMO says the overall temperature of Earth’s oceans have risen since 1960 and ‘it is expected that warming will continue’.

The Southern Ocean is the largest reservoir of heat, accounting for around 32 per cent of the ocean heat increase since 1958.

The Atlantic Ocean accounts for around 31 per cent, while the Pacific Ocean makes up around 26 per cent.

SEA LEVELS

Rising sea levels can cause disastrous flooding, forcing authorities to spend millions on flood defences and even force people to flee their homes.

This is largely being caused by the increased melting of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets.

Again, in 2023, global mean sea levels reached a record high since they first started to be tracked with satellites, in 1993.

Fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) are the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN

Rising sea levels can cause disastrous flooding, forcing authorities to spend millions on flood defences and even force people to flee their homes. Pictured, flooding in Thailand

Graph shows the global average rise in sea levels since they first started to be tracked with satellites, in 1993

According to the WMO, average sea level rises went from 0.08-inch (2.13mm) per year between 1993 and 2002, to 0.13-inch (3.33mm) per year between 2003 to 2012, and finally 0.18-inch (4.77mm) per year between 2014 and 2023.

Although this may not sound like much, Professor Jonathan Bamber, director of the Bristol Glaciology Centre at the University of Bristol, said this could lead to catastrophic long-term change.

‘Our own research indicates that, if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, there is a small chance that we could experience up to a 2 metre rise by 2100,’ he said.

‘This would truly be catastrophic for civilisation with the potential to displace around a tenth of the population of the planet.

‘We are looking at the disappearance of small island nation states in the not too distant future and inundation of heavily populated coastal zones.’

MELTING ICE

Due to the higher surface and ocean temperatures, ice in the Antarctic reached a record low since records began in 1979.

September’s annual maximum – when Antarctic ice is usually at its greatest extent due to colder temperatures – was 6.54 million sq miles (16.96 million sq km).

This is roughly 5.7 million sq miles (1.5 million sq km) below the 1991-2020 average and 386,000 sq miles (1 million sq km2) below the previous record low maximum.

In the northern hemisphere meanwhile, the Greenland Ice Sheet – the world’s second-biggest ice sheet after Antarctic – continued to lose mass in 2023.

Combining the two ice sheets, average rates of mass loss increased from 105 gigatonnes per year from 1992-1996 to 372 gigatonnes per year from 2016–2020.

Sea ice plays an important role maintaining the Earth’s energy balance while helping keep polar regions cool due to its ability to reflect more sunlight back to space. Pictured, sea ice in the water off Cuverville Island in the Antarctic

Left graph shows daily Arctic sea-ice extent from January through December, showing 2023 (red line) against the climate normal (1991–2020, dark blue) and the record highest and lowest extents for each day (mid blue). Right image shows ice concentration on September 19, 2023, at the annual minimum Arctic ice extent. The yellow line indicates the median ice edge for the 1981–2010 period

The world’s glaciers – which reflect sunlight back into space and help keep the planet cool – likely suffered ‘the largest loss of ice on record’ since 1950.

In Switzerland, which relies on ice for the ski season, glaciers have lost around 10 per cent of their remaining volume in the past two years.

‘If that trend continues then we could see much of the Alps devoid of glaciers in a matter of decades,’ said Professor Bamber.

‘That is something that few, if any of us, would have expected see happen so rapidly.’

Climate scientists are constantly tracking sea ice extent throughout the seasons and comparing its size with the same months from previous years, in order to see how it’s changing. Data from National Snow and Ice Data Center has recently showed that sea ice extent is lower than the average since records began, regardless of time of year

A glacier is an accumulation of snow compacted over thousands of years to become solid ice. Glaciers are important sources of water as they hold about two-thirds of the Earth’s freshwater. Pictured, the Langtang Glacier in Nepal

Researchers also warn that extreme weather events including floods, tropical cyclones, drought, and wildfires, are linked with the warming of the planet and so will likely keep occurring.

These will hit ‘vulnerable populations’ in countries without the ability to respond adequately already hit by food insecurity, such as Somalia, Sudan and Syria.

‘Climate change can intensify existing inequalities and social and economic pressures, placing further pressure on the people and places who are already under stress and who have often done the least to cause climate change in the first place,’ said Dr Leslie Mabon, lecturer in environmental systems at The Open University.

Professor Tina van de Flierdt, head of the Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London, called the new report ‘alarming’.

‘Generally, the data in the report reinforces that climate change is not a distant threat – it is here now, and it is already impacting lives worldwide,’ she said.

‘However, it is important to note that we are not yet locked into this trajectory.

‘The future is in our hands, and ongoing climate projects and greater use of clean energy sources offer hope for a just and resilient future.’

Droughts, floods, fires and typhoons: The 20 costliest climate disasters of 2023, revealed

From droughts, floods, wildfires and tropical storms, no corner of the globe was spared by disastrous climate events in 2023.

A new report reveals the 20 most financially costly climate disasters of the year – and all six of the world’s populated continents are on the list.

At the top is the shocking Hawaii wildfires in August, which killed at least 100 people and cost over $4,000 per person in damages.

Also featured are the storms in Guam in May – which cost almost $1,500 per head of population – floods in New Zealand, droughts in Spain and wildfires in Chile.

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British Gas FORGET to charge me for years and then give me a bill for £3,000

Jeffrey Bailey — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 20:12:26 +0000

A mother has told how she was left stunned when she received an electricity bill for more than £3,000 after British Gas FORGOTTEN to charge her for more than two years.

Julia Shields, from Bristol, usually pays the energy huge around £130 per month for delivery gas and electricity.

Julia Shields was left shocked after being charged a staggering bill by British GasCredit: Marc Giddings

Julia and sons Ted (10) and Eric (13) at their home in Yatton near BristolCredit: Marc Giddings

But earlier this month she received a bill asking for £3,264.20 to date back to October 2021, when the company took over People’s Energy’s supply after it went bankrupt.

The 45-year-old said: “I opened the letter and couldn’t believe the figure I was staring at. We usually only pay a fraction of that, so I thought it was an administrative error and put it aside, thinking I would call when I had time.”

A few days later Julia called British Gas and was told there had been no mistake.

She continued: “They told me I owed them thousands of pounds because they hadn’t charged us for the whole time they had been supplying us with electricity.

“I was terrified about what to do next soil I would find things like that money. It dated from two and a half years ago. In today’s climate, it’s hard enough to feed a large family, and yet just to find extra money to pay off that kind of debt.

“They admitted on the phone that it was their fault and asked me to set up a payment plan. I refused to do that because it didn’t feel right that I would be left with a huge amount of debt because of someone else’s mistake.

“We had given them the readings and someone had even come by to check the meter. We didn’t notice it the bill was for gas only, we have just received a bill with the British Gas heading at the top and paid the amount.

The concerned mum scoured the internet for rules and discovered that according to energy watchdog Ofgem’s website, if you haven’t received an accurate gas or electricity bill for more than a year, you may not have to pay for all the energy you’ve used. .

Ofgem’s website states: “Under back-billing rules, your supplier usually cannot bill you for the energy you used 12 months ago.

“The rules for retrospective invoicing do not apply if the supplier has sent you an invoice before the end of the year and you have not paid.”

Get help paying your energy bill

IT’S definitely worth signing up to British Gas’ PeakSave or Power Move schemes if you can, but you can make bigger savings in other ways.

Writer Julia, mother of squirter Will, 20, Ally, 16, Eric, 13, and ten-year-old Ted, said this was the first bill she had received.

She has now written a complaint to British Gas, detailing the ruling in Ofgem, and is waiting for a response.

A spokesperson for British Gas told The Sun: “We have contacted Mr Shields to reassure him that the bill, which includes previously unbilled electricity, will be recalculated under post-billing rules.

“We understand this is frustrating and we will continue to stay in touch with them as we update their account.”

An Ofgem spokesperson said: “Suppliers must comply with strict rules to protect vulnerable households, including repayment plans. While suppliers can issue a catch-up invoice if customers have been undercharged, they cannot reclaim charges that are more than twelve months old.

“If a customer is not satisfied with the service they have received regarding their billing, they can file a complaint with the Energy Ombudsman. More advice is available on the Ofgem and Citizens Advice websites.

It comes as British Gas has expanded an initiative to offer customers half-price electricity.

The energy supplier has postponed the closing date of its ‘Peak Save’ scheme from today to March 31.

A copy of the electricity bill shows how she was charged £3,264.20Credit: Marc Giddings

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EPA sets limits on carcinogenic gas used to sterilize medical devices

Albert Elence — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:58:55 +0000

The Environmental Protection Agency is imposing new limits on emissions of ethylene oxide, a colorless gas that is widely used to sterilize medical equipment and is also a carcinogen.

The regulation, expected to be finalized Thursday, would force sterilizing factories and other facilities that use ethylene oxide to install pollution controls to reduce emissions of the gas by about 90 percent.

It would be the first time in twenty years that the government has tightened limits on the amount of gas that can escape from a production facility.

Ethylene oxide is used in a number of products, but is applied to about half of the medical equipment made in the United States to reduce the risk of infection.

When inhaled, the gas can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and has been linked to lymphoid and breast cancer, as well as damage to the brain, nervous system and reproductive system.

Michael S. Regan, the EPA administrator, said the rule would significantly reduce health risks to people living near sterilization facilities, calling it “historically strong.” He said the rule is part of President Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” effort to improve cancer prevention.

The rule would affect about 90 sterilization plants in many states, including many in California, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico and in the Northeast. Nearby communities have become increasingly concerned about the risk of cancer, and environmental groups have sued the EPA to force it to implement stricter controls.

“Today marks an important step forward in regulating toxic ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilization facilities, but there is still much work to be done,” said Patrice Simms, vice president at Earthjustice, a nonprofit that led the lawsuit. He cited community groups “whose years of advocacy have led to increased regulation of an industry that has polluted our communities while cleaning our medical equipment.”

Nearly 13 million people live near these facilities, which disproportionately pose a risk to poor and minority communities. according to an analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental group

“We have followed the science and listened to communities to fulfill our responsibility to protect public health from this pollution, including the health of children who are particularly vulnerable to carcinogens at a young age,” Mr Regan said in a statement.

The Biden administration has made tackling the pollutant a key part of its pledge to improve conditions in communities disproportionately affected by pollution.

Medical technology groups say ethylene oxide is the only effective method of sterilizing devices such as catheters, wound dressings and surgical equipment. They warned that the EPA rule would interrupt patient care because of the cost and time required to meet the stricter standards.

Scott Whitaker, the president and CEO of AdvaMed, a group that lobbies on behalf of the interests of medical device makers, said in a statement Wednesday that the group is not opposed to updating ethylene oxide standards. But, he said, facilities must have sufficient time and flexibility in the types of pollution controls they use.

“We will view the rule through that lens and remain hopeful that these changes will not negatively impact the health care system or the patients we serve,” Mr. Whitaker said.

Mr. Regan said his agency strives to strike a balance between lowering cancer risk in neighboring communities while maintaining the capacity of facilities to sterilize products before they are shipped, usually to medical distribution companies. The rule ensures a process “that safeguards our nation’s critical supply of sterilized medical equipment,” Mr. Regan said.

Agency officials said they tried to address industry concerns in the final version of the regulation. This would give facilities more time than originally anticipated to comply with the new standards.

The rule will take effect as soon as it is published in the Federal Register, which will likely happen this month. After that, the facilities would have two years to implement monitoring and contamination checks. They would have an additional 180 days to demonstrate compliance, and in some circumstances they could request an extension from states and the EPA.

Most commercial sterilizers will also be required to conduct ongoing emissions monitoring and submit quarterly reports to the government.

Chemical manufacturers have already done that sued the EPA. on the updated hazard assessment for ethylene oxide, an analysis used to inform the regulations. The medical device industry also lobbied the agency to adopt a less protective standard.

The new rule is part of a series of regulations the Biden administration is writing regarding ethylene oxide.

Another rule, expected to be finalized within weeks, would reduce hazardous air pollutants from chemical plants, including ethylene oxide. That rule would apply to more than 200 facilities across Texas and Louisiana; elsewhere along the Gulf Coast; the Ohio River Valley; and West Virginia. It would update a number of regulations governing emissions from chemical plants, some of which have not been tightened in nearly two decades.

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Complete list of ‘no-brainer’ gas station loyalty programs that offer free fuel

Jeffrey Bailey — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 13:03:21 +0000

If you sign up for a loyalty program at a gas station, you can get free diesel or unleaded gasoline and save money on flights.

The cost of petrol and diesel has fallen since hitting a record high in July 2022, but still remains relatively high from a historical perspective.

We reveal four gas station chains that run customer loyalty programsCredit: Alamy

And with mortgage rates and food costs high, look for ways to save fuel wherever possible.

Fortunately, a number of petrol station chains have free loyalty programs offering customers free petrol, discounted flights and points that can be redeemed at major retailers including M&S, Asos and Costa Coffee.

Consumer expert Martyn James said: “Even for a cynic about petrol station loyalty cards, they are a no-brainer when it comes to buying fuel.

“We tend to be ‘station loyal’ and use the stations that are most local to where we live or work – so why not make them work for you?

“The range of offers, from freebies, discounts and offers on everything from food to flights, is definitely worth it.”

But what exactly do each of the loyalty programs offer? We’ve broken them down for you below.

Texaco Star Rewards

Texaco manages approximately 800 independently owned and operated petrol stations in the UK.

With the Star Rewards program, drivers receive one point worth 1 cent for every liter of fuel purchased.

Once you reach 500 points you can redeem them for €5 off your fuel or redeem for a €5 Love2Shop Reward voucher code.

The £5 vouchers can be spent at a range of retailers and chains, including M&S, John Lewis, Argos, Just Eat, Asos and Costa Coffee.

You can also choose to donate your £5 to one of a number of charities, including Age UK, FareShare and Action for Children.

Texaco is also currently offering drivers double points per liter of fuel purchased on their first three fill-ups.

The loyalty program can be downloaded for free on your smartphone via Google Play or the Apple App Store.

To find your nearest Texaco station, you can use the chain’s locator tool on their website.

BPme

BP operates more than 1,200 petrol stations in Great Britain, serving approximately seven million customers.

Through the BPme Rewards program, drivers can earn points on purchased fuel or food and use them to get cash for future trips.

You earn one point for every liter of regular fuel purchased, two points for every liter of ultimate fuel and one point for every €1 you spend in store.

However, you cannot earn points when purchasing tobacco, calling cards, baby formula, stamps, utility cards, top-ups or the in-store lottery.

Each point is worth 0.5p, meaning 200 points are worth £1.

You can redeem the points you earn in store or with fuel, or redeem them with one of BP’s partners including M&S and Amazon.

However, you cannot start redeeming points until you have earned at least 25 points.

Drivers can also convert points into Avios points, with 40 BPme points worth 25 Avios.

You can sign up for the BPme scheme by picking up a physical card at a petrol station and then registering it online.

You can also download the app for free from Google Play or the Apple App Store or order a key ring to attach to your key ring.

Customers who sign up for the program for the first time automatically receive €2.50 in points for free.

You can find your nearest BP garage via the chain’s online search tool.

Shell Go+

There are more than 1,000 Shell petrol stations in the UK, where customers can save money by signing up to the Shell Go+ programme.

Drivers automatically receive a 10% discount on hot drinks including Costa Coffee, delicacies such as sandwiches and motor oils.

Shoppers can also earn ‘visits’ instead of points, by spending £10 or more on fuel or £2 or more in-store per trip, and receive a ‘reward’ to spend on fuel on their 10th visit .

Rewards are discounts between €1 and €50 on fuel, which vary depending on each customer.

Drivers can also randomly receive “surprise rewards” such as free drinks and food, or money from a car wash when they use their app or card.

Those participating in the Shell Go+ program can also receive additional benefits through Shell’s partners, including discounts on roadside assistance and discounts on technology such as dashcams.

You can download the Shell Go+ app from Google Play or the App Store, pick up a physical card in store or order a key fob.

Esso

Esso doesn’t have its own loyalty program, but you can collect points if you have a Nectar Card.

You will need to download the Esso app and then add your Nectar Card details.

You receive one Nectar point for every liter of fuel purchased or two points for every €1 you spend in the store or at a car wash.

How to save money on fuel

It’s worth checking out the PetrolPrices app and website, where you can see how much fuel the petrol stations near you cost.

Comparison website Confused.com also has a petrol price checker that allows you to find petrol prices within a radius of five, ten or 40 kilometers.

Fleet news and Allstar also lets you check petrol prices in multiple counties to see how your region compares to others in the UK.

If you are a Costco member, you can often pick up cheap fuel at gas stations as well

Three hundred points are worth 5 cents on a liter of fuel, up to a maximum of 60 liters.

Drivers who sign up for the app also receive 1,000 points as a welcome bonus and bonus points on their second, fourth, sixth and eighth trip.

You can download the Esso app for free from Google Play or the App Store.

In the meantime, you can find your nearest gas station using the chain’s search function on its website.

Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.

Moreover, you can join us Sun Money chats and tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories.

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Gas leak in Bauhinia Queensland: Massive flames seen as serious pipeline rupture threaten operation of coal and gas power stations

Albert Elence — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 05:22:03 +0000

By Freddy Pawle for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 11:36 PM EST, March 4, 2024 | Updated: 00:15 EST, March 5, 2024

A huge fire due to a rupture in the gas pipeline threatens to shut down the activities of a number of gas and coal-fired power stations.

Emergency services were first called to the leak in Bauhinia, central Queensland, about 8.30am on Tuesday.

Firefighters and paramedics remained on scene throughout the day as the fire continued to burn. No one was injured.

Images of the breach show a massive fire stretching about twice as high as nearby trees.

The 627 kilometer line will transport as much as 145 terajoules of gas from the Wallumbilla gas hub to major industrial users in Gladstone and Rockhampton.

A massive fire caused by a gas pipeline rupture threatens to halt operations at a number of gas and coal-fired power stations in Queensland (pictured)

The break has instead led to the line being cut further upstream to contain the fire and has completely cut off the supply to Gladstone.

The plant closest to the breach is a scraping station in neighboring Oombabeer, but could also affect numerous other facilities such as Rollerstone.

Numerous industrial factories are also connected to the gas pipeline as it approaches Gladstone and Rockhampton.

The line cuts could also impact a number of industrial plants including: Queensland Nitrates, Queensland Magnesia Facility, Queensland Alumina Limited Refinery, Boyne Smelters, Rio Tinto Yarwun Refinery and Orica Yarwun.

A spokesperson for Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) told Daily Mail Australia it was “working closely with QFES to monitor the situation”.

‘An RSHQ inspector is now on site to assess the situation and an investigation has been launched.

“The route has been isolated and the incident is under control.”

The breach threatens to have major consequences for industrial plants in Gladstone, such as the Rio Tinto Yarwun refinery (pictured), and for a limited number of homes.

The company that manages the pipeline in Australia, Jemena, confirmed that the rupture could also have consequences for housing supply.

A statement from the company also confirmed that an exclusion zone has been established around the fault.

“We are currently working to understand the impact of the incident on our customers and other stakeholders,” the release said.

“We apologize for any inconvenience caused to those who may be affected by this incident.

“Our current focus is on ensuring the safety of the site, the community and our staff.

‘Then we will start developing our recovery plan.’

More to come.

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Sickening Moment Three Brutes Shoot Innocent Man At Kansas City Gas Station After Asking Him For $1

Albert Elence — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 03:14:30 +0000

By Isabelle Stanley for Dailymail.Com

Published: 2:38 PM EST, March 4, 2024 | Updated: 10:12 PM EST, March 4, 2024

This is the sickening moment three brutes shot and robbed an innocent man after he gave them a dollar at a gas station in Kansas City, Missouri.

Police are looking for the three suspects accused of shooting the man on Feb. 22 around 10:45 p.m. in the 4500 block of Cleveland Avenue.

The shocking incident was captured on CCTV and shows the victim handing over a dollar to one of the suspects he thought was a homeless man, before two other men emerge from the petrol station, shoot him, search his pockets and steal his car .

The victim has now left the hospital and is recovering at home.

The police are looking for the three men, who can be seen on CCTV footage from the store, wearing dark tracksuits and hoods.

Police shared photos of three suspects who have not yet been identified on Monday afternoon

The shocking video shows the victim walking around his car to hand over a dollar to one of the suspects, who he thought was homeless.

Two other suspects then run out of the gas station and approach the victim, who backs away.

One of the suspects then shoots him in the leg and he falls to the ground near his car.

The suspects then begin to climb into the victim’s car to drive away, when one of them decides to go back and search his pockets.

Two other suspects then emerged from the gas station and approached him before shooting him in the leg

The victim approached one of the suspects to hand him a dollar, thinking he was homeless

He searches his pockets while the victim lies on the ground before appearing to grab something.

The suspect with the gun then gets out of the car and walks towards the victim, as if he is talking to him.

He then searches his pockets and pushes him onto his back to check the other side before picking up what he found and heading back to the car.

The Kansas City Police Department shared the footage on X, saying, “Watch the entire video. While leaving a gas station, an innocent man was asked for a dollar and given it.

The victim then fell to the ground before the suspect went through his pockets

“He was then shot and robbed in the 4500 block of Cleveland Ave. on February 22 around 10:45 p.m.

‘When the man is lying there injured, you see one of the three suspects searches his pockets, looking for valuables.

“Towards the end of this video you will see suspects in the store. We’ve included their photo in this thread.

“If you can identify any of the suspects, please contact our Robbery Unit at 816-234-5230 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.”

They later added: ‘Thankfully the victim is out of hospital and recovering at home.’

The post Sickening Moment Three Brutes Shoot Innocent Man At Kansas City Gas Station After Asking Him For $1 appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Moment skiers narrowly avoid disaster after a passing helicopter drops its load with a huge gas canister and then hurtles down the slopes in Italy

Albert Elence — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 19:20:29 +0000

This is the moment skiers narrowly avoid disaster after a passing helicopter drops its load with a huge gas canister and then hurtles down a slope in Italy.

The helicopter can be seen transporting goods under a perfect blue sky over the Aprica ski resort in the Sondrio province in the north of the country.

The plane dropped its payload before the gas cylinder hit the ground in a puff of snow and then hurtled down the slope, dangerously close to skiers descending the mountain.

The cylinder gained speed and grazed a skier who managed to avoid it in time, while other people in its path moved to the side of the slope, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reports.

Fortunately, no one was injured and the cause of the incident, which took place on Sunday, is not yet clear.

The helicopter transports goods under a perfect blue sky above the Aprica ski resort in the Sondrio province of northern Italy. The plane dropped its payload before the gas cylinder hit the ground in a puff of snow and then hurtled down the slopes, dangerously close to skiers descending the mountain.

Aprica enjoys relatively good conditions, with most of the ski area open.

It comes as more and more ski lifts across Europe have come to a standstill as resorts struggle to cope with the lack of snow after an exceptionally mild winter.

Grim images show entire mountains looking bare, when normally in the high season of mid to late February they would be covered in snow and crowded with winter sports fans.

In the French ski resort of Saint-Colomban-des-Villards, the lifts are at a standstill due to a lack of snow, while temperatures rise to 13 degrees Celsius. It is a situation that the newspaper Le Parisien describes as ‘unprecedented’, with locals declaring: ‘I didn’t think I would experience this in my lifetime.’

Similar scenes have been reported at the Artouste ski resort in the Pyrénées Atlantiques, where slope-preparation machines are set up in a field next to motionless ski lifts.

You can see the object as it travels down the slopes at high speed as it passes skiers. The helicopter then flew with the rest of its goods after the incident in Lombardy, northern Italy

According to the newspaper Kronen Zeitung, resorts in Austria have also been affected by the closure of the Tyrolean ski area Mutterer Alm. And last week, photos emerged of dozens of snow cannons being used to strengthen the cover of the Swiss Leysin resort.

Earlier this month, ski lifts were switched off and snowmaking machines left behind on the grass of the 2,000-metre Terminillo mountain in Italy’s Apennines after it became ‘too hot’ to use artificial snowmaking, a lifeline for many resorts struggling with shortages.

The snow crisis comes at the height of the ski season, when thousands of Britons normally prepare to fly to the Alps to enjoy winter sports.

Further afield in Bosnia, visitors to Mount Bjelasnica this week dragged their skis through the mud to reach the ski lifts, as spring-like weather after the planet’s hottest January spoiled their usual winter activities.

One hopeful skier, Aida Dedic, who had traveled to the Bosnian resort from the Netherlands, said: ‘I was surprised when I saw this mud, it is different from last year.

“That’s probably because of these climate changes.”

FRANCE: This was the scene at the Artouste ski resort in the Pyrénées Atlantiques, France, on Monday, where dry ground was visible and piste groomers lined up without doing anything

FRANCE: A gondola lift was shown going over bare fields and trees at the Artouste ski resort in France on Monday. Normally, skiers enjoy snowy slopes

FRANCE: People walk across a patchy snow cover in the Artouste ski resort on Monday

SWITZERLAND: This was the scene in the Swiss resort of Les Mosses earlier this month, with a thin layer of snow on an otherwise bare field

Other European ski destinations, such as Italy, have also seen entire mountains without snow and ski centers abandoned.

After a warm December, skiers in the mountains around the Bosnian capital Sarajevo enjoyed a few weeks of colder weather and some snow, but in February the melt came.

A skier, Denis, from Croatia, said: ‘Unfortunately there is no snow.

‘We made reservations before, but we didn’t want to give up because the children were really looking forward to it.’

The post Moment skiers narrowly avoid disaster after a passing helicopter drops its load with a huge gas canister and then hurtles down the slopes in Italy appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

We live in a van for free and it's so cheap: we wash for free at gas stations

Jeffrey Bailey — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:04:55 +0000

A COUPLE have revealed they live in a van and although there is no shower, they can wash up for free at petrol stations.

Kieran and Beckie live in a van with their three dogs and are currently traveling around Europe.

A couple have revealed they are living rent-free in a van and are currently traveling around EuropeCredit: tiktok/@thetailsoftravel

Kieran and Beckie can keep their lifestyle cheap by taking free showers at gas stationsCredit: tiktok/@thetailsoftravel

Beckie used social media to provide insight into the cost of living on the roadCredit: tiktok/@thetailsoftravel

As a result of their life on wheels, the couple lives rent-free and is therefore able to save not only money, but also bills.

In a clip shared on social media, the couple shared how they shower on the go.

Beckie explained: “So a lot of people ask how we shower on the road.

“So this is how we do it: we are currently between France and Spain.

Break it off

In another videoBeckie elaborated on the cost of living in a van.

She explained: “We travel around Europe full time.

“This week has been a middle of the road week, so I'm going to go through what things have cost us this week.

“This week we had the lowest amount for our showers – we tend to use more public facilities for showers and this week we spent £3.42 on showers.

“The next thing we spent money on was topping up our LPG tank, this is the gas we use for cooking. We spent £6.13.

“Next was data: we paid £13.66 to top up our SIM card.

“Our next splurge was our miscellaneous stuff – we treated ourselves this week. We've been looking for a couple of comfy beach chairs – we ended up buying two, they came to £85.48. That was a luxury splurge for us .

“Our next expense was fuel, which came to £91.20.

“Our biggest spend this week: we spent £159.48 on food.”

People left divided

The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @the tail end of travelhas clearly left many with their mouths open as it has quickly amassed 41,800 views.

But social media users were divided over the clip – while some thought it was a great lifestyle, others wondered why the couple didn't buy a shower with a van.

One person said: “Thanks for this information! This will definitely come in handy!!”

Another added: “Living life.”

At the same time, someone else commented: “Or a camper with a shower.”

The couple wrote back: “Yes! But not yet something we have or want.”

Fabulous pays for your exclusive stories. Just email: fantasticdigital@the-sun.co.uk and put EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.

They also gave their followers a tour of their vanCredit: tiktok/@thetailsoftravel

But social media users were divided by the couple's lifestyleCredit: tiktok/@thetailsoftravel

While some thought they were “living the life,” others didn't know why they didn't buy a camper with a showerCredit: tiktok/@thetailsoftravel

The post We live in a van for free and it's so cheap: we wash for free at gas stations appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Farmers protest: Tear gas used at Punjab-Haryana border, Center offers fifth round of talks | What we know so far

Sabir Ansary — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:46:23 +0000

The Farmers' Protest has started again today because the farmers are still not satisfied with the talks with the government. With tear gas being used at the Punjab-Haryana border, the Center has now offered a fifth round of talks with the protesters.

Tear gas on farmers during Delhi Chalo March

New Delhi: After a short break the Farmers Delhi Chalo March has started again as they remain steadfast in their demand for the introduction of a law guaranteeing MSP for crops. Despite meetings with the central government, the two sides have managed to reach an agreement as their primary demand remains unfulfilled. Like the Farmers protest resumes today, security has been increased at the borders of Haryana, Delhi and Punjab, the internet ban has been extended in Haryana and traffic advisories have also been issued in the states. In a recent development, tear gas has been used on farmers in the region Punjab-Haryana border and the Center has also offered a fifth round of talks with the farmers…

The post Farmers protest: Tear gas used at Punjab-Haryana border, Center offers fifth round of talks | What we know so far appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.