Latest news with #Miano
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NMED seeks approval to enact clean fuels rule by end of the year
Traffic along Tramway road captured May 21, 2025. New Mexico put forward draft rules for its clean fuels program, and officials hope hearings will begin later this year. (Danielle Prokop / Source NM) As the Trump administration attacks states' efforts to combat climate change, New Mexico pushes ahead with its plans to create a market place for clean fuels. Last week, the New Mexico Environment Department proposed the Clean Transportation Fuel Program to the state's Environmental Improvement Board, which, if approved, would be the fourth one in the country. A public comment period on the 112-page draft rule is expected to start in mid-June, according to an NMED news release, with a request to schedule the required hearings this fall. The draft rule follows the New Mexico Legislature's 2024 passage of House Bill 41, which mandated the environment department create a market to incentivize less vehicular pollution and the state reduce emissions by 20% by 2030 and 30% by 2040. The law sets a deadline of July 1, 2026 for the adoption of rules creating the marketplace. Officials and proponents say the program is meant to reduce pollution over time by allowing cleaner fuel companies — using electricity or diesel made from refined plants like corn or soybeans — to sell credits to sellers of more polluting fuels. In its proposed rule, NMED created an objective measure, called the clean fuel standard, to determine the total greenhouse emissions of a fuel. The standard measures the 'well-to-wheel' intensity, said Michelle Miano, who leads NMED's Environmental Protection Division. 'It includes the drilling of the well, taking up petroleum or fossil products from the well, what it takes to refine, take to market and go to sale,' she said. 'We are calculating the carbon intensity of that entire lifecycle and we're doing that for all the different kinds of fuels.' Miano said the marketplace meets the goals of diversifying the economy; working to curb pollution; and incentivizing fuel producers to reduce their carbon footprints. New Mexico would be the fourth state to adopt this kind of program, behind California, Washington and Oregon. Miano said the program will be entirely state-run, and doesn't require federal input. 'This is a state program and state law, so no matter what happens at the federal level, this program will remain in place so that the economic benefits are received by New Mexico, regardless of federal movements,' Miano said. Transportation ranks as New Mexico's second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions behind oil and gas production, according to Travis Madsen, the transportation program director at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, a nonprofit that advocates for electrification across the intermountain West. 'Most of that is burning petroleum in cars and trucks,' he told Source NM. 'And in order to reduce those emissions, we need to move our transportation and energy supplies towards less emitting, or zero-emitting energy sources — that's what the clean fuel standard aims to do.' Madsen said the efforts to use renewables on the electrical grid and the further adoption of electric cars at home could translate to cost-savings. 'Using electricity instead of gasoline can provide some major savings on fuel costs for residents or businesses, and I'm expecting that the net effect of this policy is going to be that New Mexicans save money,' he said. Madsen referenced recent proposals from House Republicans to gut clean energy tax credits and pollution rules as a driving reason for New Mexico to create the program. 'I think the federal government is definitely not moving toward emission reductions and is probably moving away. That would push things in the wrong direction and make it harder for New Mexico to achieve those pollution reduction goals that it set out,' he said. 'I think it's even more important now that New Mexico pursues actions that it can take on its own without the help of the federal government — the clean fuel standard is a prime example of that.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Kenya receives 17 rare antelopes from the US
Kenya has received 17 mountain bongos – a very rare type of antelope – from a conservation centre in the United States. The antelopes are third-generation descendants of mountain bongos taken from Kenya in the 1960s. The return of the critically endangered animals, from the Rare Species Conservation Foundation in Florida, was hailed as a "monumental step" in Kenya's conservation efforts. From about 500 in the 1970s, less than 100 mountain bongos are estimated to remain in the wild in Kenya, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service. The KWS said this was due to habitat loss, poaching, illegal activities, disease, and small fragmented populations. Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano described the arrival of the bongos at the country's main airport on Sunday night as "emotional and so cool", and a benefit for Kenya's tourism and conservation sectors. The animals were taken to wildlife sanctuaries in Meru county near Mount Kenya, where they will be nurtured before they are gradually introduced to their natural habitat. Ms Miano said the mountain bongo, "a species originally only found in Kenya, has suffered untold grief over the decades... dwindling to alarming proportions". She said the plan was to grow the population to 700 by 2050. The mountain bongo, which has a bright chestnut-red colour with narrow white stripes, is the largest African forest-dwelling antelope, according to the KWS. It is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a Critically Endangered species - with more individuals in captivity than in the wild. The first repatriation to Kenya was in 2004 when 18 mountain bongos were flown into the country. KWS director-general Erastus Kanga said Kenya was expecting another batch of the mountain bongos from zoos in Europe in the next three months. From captivity, the bongos have to go through a series of adaptation phases for them to build the immunity needed to survive in the wild. In 2022, the head of conservancy at Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) told a Kenyan TV station that some of the bongos repatriated in 2004 had successfully been integrated into the wild and had started breeding. The MKWC official, Robert Aruho, however, said that other had died from tick-borne diseases, adding that building immunity takes time. Rare mountain bongo born at Chester Zoo Watch: Kenya's Mountain Bongo antelope under threat Critically endangered antelope arrives at zoo Endangered black rhinos die in Kenya reserve Kenya: Endangered giraffes killed by low power lines Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
24-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Kenya receives 17 mountain bongo antelopes from the US
Kenya has received 17 mountain bongos – a very rare type of antelope – from a conservation centre in the United antelopes are third-generation descendants of mountain bongos taken from Kenya in the return of the critically endangered animals, from the Rare Species Conservation Foundation in Florida, was hailed as a "monumental step" in Kenya's conservation about 500 in the 1970s, less than 100 mountain bongos are estimated to remain in the wild in Kenya, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service. The KWS said this was due to habitat loss, poaching, illegal activities, disease, and small fragmented Minister Rebecca Miano described the arrival of the bongos at the country's main airport on Sunday night as "emotional and so cool", and a benefit for Kenya's tourism and conservation animals were taken to wildlife sanctuaries in Meru county near Mount Kenya, where they will be nurtured before they are gradually introduced to their natural Miano said the mountain bongo, "a species originally only found in Kenya, has suffered untold grief over the decades... dwindling to alarming proportions".She said the plan was to grow the population to 700 by mountain bongo, which has a bright chestnut-red colour with narrow white stripes, is the largest African forest-dwelling antelope, according to the is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a Critically Endangered species - with more individuals in captivity than in the wild. The first repatriation to Kenya was in 2004 when 18 mountain bongos were flown into the director-general Erastus Kanga said Kenya was expecting another batch of the mountain bongos from zoos in Europe in the next three captivity, the bongos have to go through a series of adaptation phases for them to build the immunity needed to survive in the 2022, the head of conservancy at Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) told a Kenyan TV station that some of the bongos repatriated in 2004 had successfully been integrated into the wild and had started MKWC official, Robert Aruho, however, said that other had died from tick-borne diseases, adding that building immunity takes time. You may also be interested in: Rare mountain bongo born at Chester ZooWatch: Kenya's Mountain Bongo antelope under threatCritically endangered antelope arrives at zooEndangered black rhinos die in Kenya reserveKenya: Endangered giraffes killed by low power lines Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Reuters
19-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Kenya tourism sector earnings to rise to 650 billion shillings in 2025, minister says
NAIROBI, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Kenya tourism sector earnings are expected to jump to 650 billion shillings ($5 billion) this year from 452.2 billion shillings last year, Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano said on Wednesday. Miano said the 2024 earnings were up 20% compared with a year earlier. The sector alongside tea exports and remittances are Kenya's major foreign exchange earners. ($1 = 129.0000 Kenyan shillings)
