11/6/23 - The Daily News

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After a petition from West Coast Native American tribes, United States regulators will be reviewing the use of the chemical 6PPD. This chemical is found in almost every tire and has been used as a preservative in tires for 60 years. It is also found in footwear, synthetic turf and playground equipment. The tribes are saying that it kills coho salmon, steelhead trout and other aquatic wildlife. Tire manufacturers are already looking for an alternative. When tires wear, tiny particles of rubber are left behind. The chemical breaks down into the byproduct 6PPD-quinone which is deadly to aquatic wildlife when washed into the waterways by the rain. Joseph L. James, spokeperson of the Yurok Tribe, stated, "We could not sit idle while 6PPD kills the fish that sustain us..." There was also a communique to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), citing the chemical's "unreasonable threat" to their waters and fisheries. The southeastern US is experiencing the spread of an invasive arachnid species, the Joro spider. Due to climate change, these yellow-banded spiders have been found as far north as Maryland. They have also been seen in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Maryland, Oklahoma and West Virginia. They can use a method called ballooning which allows them to sail on air currents to new locations. The Joros are replacing native species of spiders and catching and eating any type of insect that it catches in its immense, strong webs. They are native to Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. More studies are being done to determine what other impact the Joro spider is having on the ecosystem. As you've already heard, a strong El Nino winter is coming. The southern third to half of the US, including California is likely to be wetter than normal, while the Pacific Northwest and Ohio Valley will likely be dry and warm. There may be extra s**w in the mountainous regions of the west and the southern part of the Rocky Mountains, Four Corner States, Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and the southern Appalachia region. But nothing is written in stone; and anything can happen. We'll just have to wait and see. Polls show that Trump is leading in popularity in 5 key states. Photo Credit: Pixabay