Short Takes – 10-22-24

Inside the Bungled Bird Flu Response, Where Profits Collide With Public Health. VanityFair.com article. Lots of links. Pull quote: “It is unclear whether the [bird flu] virus, as it continues to spread and evolve, will ultimately pose a serious threat to human health. But if it does, there could be a battle no less intense than the one still being fought over who should be held responsible for COVID-19. Looking back at the events of 2019, one thing almost everyone agrees on is that China should have been much more transparent about what it knew and when it knew it.”

‘More serious than we had hoped’: Bird flu deaths mount among California dairy cows. LATimes.com article. Pull quote: ““As I’ve said since we first learned of the outbreak in dairy cows, nothing we’ve learned about this virus is new or unexpected,” said Rick Bright, a virologist and former head of the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. “It’s behaving exactly as we’ve come to know of this virus over the past 25 years. It’s spreading very efficiently now among mammals, and it’s mutating and adapting to mammals as it does.””

Russian group’s hack of Texas water system underscores critical OT cyber threats. CSOOnline.com article. Interesting discussion about unprofessional threats. Pull quote: “The possible geopolitical connection to these hacks contradicts the notion that the Cyber Army of Russia and other Russian threat groups are merely amusing themselves. Erlin thinks the hackers may be showing off their skills to get jobs as official Russian state hackers. “If you want to get hired for a job, you might want to demonstrate that you’re capable of doing that job,” he says.”

INVESTING IN AMERICA: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $200 Million to Replace Aging Gas Pipes, Lower Household Energy Bills and Cut Methane Emissions. Transportation.gov press release. Pull quote: ““For the first time, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are empowering communities to expedite these critical safety improvements while helping families save money on their energy bills,” said PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown. “On average, businesses, families, and everyday Americans can expect to save hundreds of dollars on their energy bills thanks to these necessary safety improvements funded through this new grant.””

Fatal hydrogen sulfide leak at US Pemex refinery under investigation. ChemistryWorld.com article. Pull quote: “The incident discharged almost 20 tonnes of hydrogen sulfide and nearly 14 tonnes of sulfur dioxide over several hours. Two neighbouring cities were subject to shelter-in-place orders, and a section of state highway was temporarily closed.”

Fire at US pool chemical plant releases huge chlorine plume. ChemistryWorld.com article. Includes quotes from me. Pull quote: “Georgia Institute of Technology’s Sally Ng, the leader of a new effort to characterise aerosol chemical composition and physical properties across the US in real time called the Atmospheric Science and Chemistry Measurement Network (Ascent), confirms to Chemistry World that the morning after the fire, the number of chlorine-containing particles detected in the air at Ascent’s Decatur, Georgia site, around 28km from the BioLab plant, had increased by about 1400 times. Bromine-containing particles in the air increases by about 170 times, she said.”