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Forbes
a day ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Trump Executive Orders Target Precautionary Nuclear, Climate Rules
Two recent Trump executive orders (EOs), issued on May 23, 2025, contain detailed legal language, but behind these technical terms lie significant policy shifts confronting the precautionary principle. The orders—Restoring Gold Standard Science and Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)—directly challenge longstanding assumptions used in regulations. Specifically, the Gold Standard Science order emphasizes transparency in assumptions, instructing government employees not to rely unnecessarily on highly unlikely or overly precautionary scenarios. The second executive order calls on the NRC to 'adopt science-based radiation limits,' rather than relying on precautionary safety models that have 'tried to insulate Americans from the most remote risks without appropriate regard for the severe domestic and geopolitical costs of such risk aversion.' These changes have wide-ranging implications for environmental and climate science, as well as for the energy sector. Consider some examples from the EOs to see how scientific data impacts regulatory decisions. NOAA's fisheries division has the authority to issue permits allowing lobster fisheries to operate. The issue at hand is that lobster fishing gear can cause the endangered North Atlantic right whale to become entangled in fishing gear, prompting the agency to prescribe a switch to ropeless fishing methods, reducing entanglement risk by 98%. However, this method involves very expensive gear upgrades, which would render the lobster industry uncompetitive. NOAA's recommendation was based primarily on whale birth rate data from 2010 to 2018, a period during which birth rates were relatively low. Data from periods before or after those dates, when whale birth rates were higher, were not considered. The Maine lobster fisheries took the issue to court. Initially, the ruling favored the regulator, but the decision was later overturned by the D.C. Court of Appeals, which concluded that 'the agency's decision to seek out the worst-case scenario skewed its approach to the evidence.' A similar precautionary approach is seen in climate policy. The EO specifically critiques the use of the worst-case warming scenario known as Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5, which predicts an increase in temperatures by about 8.5°F by the end of the century. Although we do not know precisely how much temperatures will rise, current science suggests that RCP 8.5 is at the high end of potential warming scenarios, and more moderate outcomes are far more likely. Unless updated by the best available science, the EO directs agencies not to base regulatory decisions on such extreme scenarios. The nuclear EO also criticized the existing precautionary approach, asserting that a 'myopic policy of minimizing even trivial risks ignores the reality that substitute forms of energy production also carry risk, such as pollution with potentially deleterious health effects.' The cost of driving risks to zero is high but often invisible—like an iceberg. What we see is the agency ostensibly protecting public health by reducing radiation exposure. What remains unseen is how such policies stifle technological advances and limit our access to clean, reliable baseload power from nuclear plants. While the U.S. currently operates the largest nuclear fleet globally, only two reactors have begun commercial operations in recent decades. Beyond domestic impacts, this trend has clear geopolitical implications as the U.S. concedes nuclear leadership to nations such as China, Russia, and South Korea. Does this mean we do not care about right whales, climate impacts, or potential radiation exposure? This is a common fallacy perpetuated by those seeking to drive risks as close to zero as possible. Risk reductions always come at a cost. Just as it doesn't make sense to reduce pollution to zero (since we still want access to goods and services), it also doesn't make sense to drive all risks to zero. Rather than relying on worst-case scenarios, it is more prudent to find a middle ground and act based on the most likely scenarios, which usually come at a significantly lower cost. This is not to suggest malicious intent by regulatory agencies. Rather, they are following decades-old premises rooted in precautionary principles that significantly slow permitting processes, despite occasional successes. This week, the NRC approved NuScale's design for a 77-megawatt, 6-module small modular reactor plant. While the agency employs knowledgeable public servants, they operate under the stifling dictates of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation exposure and the "as low as reasonably achievable" standard. The LNT model assumes every bit of radiation is harmful and thus must be minimized, disregarding the cell's capacity to repair itself after minor radiation exposure. In reality, people living in areas with naturally higher background radiation don't show the health problems that current radiation safety models predict they should have. The executive order explicitly states that these models 'lack sound scientific basis.' Will agencies respond positively to the president's directives? This is not the first time the NRC has been asked to reconsider the LNT model. Nuclear pundit Jack Devanney pointed out that "the NRC has been asked to reconsider LNT at least three times. The NRC pondered the issue for three years before proclaiming—to no one's surprise—that it was sticking with LNT.' In other words, the nuclear EO might lack sufficient teeth to force the agencies to change their standard operating practices. Yet, as Adam Stein, Director for Nuclear Energy Innovation at the Breakthrough Institute, put it, "the executive orders say the quiet part out loud." Stein also noted that because the NRC was merely asked to reconsider rather than explicitly abandon its precautionary models, the EOs represented a "big missed opportunity to finally align the NRC with a modern, risk-informed approach." Finally, the precautionary principle is widespread not just federally, but at the state level as well. For example, the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which previously supplied New York City with power, was ordered to shut down due to concerns about the health of Atlantic sturgeon in the Hudson River—not because of radiation concerns, but rather fears that cooling water from the nuclear plant could harm sturgeon eggs. The worst-case scenario was that fish populations might be damaged. Ultimately, it was New York State's energy security, emissions profile, and local employment that were harmed. In the end, obscure scientific concepts drive many regulatory decisions, which are often justified under the guise of protecting public health or the environment. A gold standard in science means all scientific decisions are transparent, clearly outlining assumptions, and ensuring that while worst-case scenarios are considered, they do not solely drive our policy-making.
CBC
a day ago
- Health
- CBC
Dream come true: Woman from Sheshatshiu finishes nursing program using inspiration from family
As she graduated from Sheshatshiu Innu School in 2021, Stashin Penashue told the CBC she wanted to go into nursing. Last week that dream came true as she graduated from the College of the North Atlantic's licensed practical nursing program. "This is really important for me and for younger generations," she told CBC News outside of her graduation reception. She said she feels she will be a role model for youth in her community, and she isn't the only one who feels that way. Her father, David Penashue, says he believes she will inspire youth from Sheshatshiu. Like all parents at graduations, David Penashue reflected back on his daughter's younger years. Emotions bubbled to the surface. "It was very amazing for me, you know, it was a very good thing to see her walking on the stage. I remember when she was only just a baby and when she went to head start," he said. "Now she's graduating [to] be a nurse. Getting to her graduation, though, wasn't always easy. But Stashin Penashue says she learned an important lesson to never stop. After deaths in her family, it took her a year longer than she had planned to finish her program. "I had family members pass while I was in my first year, which made it very hard because it didn't just affect me, it affected my home life," she said. "Trying to come to school and learn, when my mind was somewhere else, was really hard." Inspired by great-grandmother The reason for pursuing nursing is because of her great-grandmother's work as a midwife, Stashin Penashue said. "I hope she'd be proud of me, since she missed, now, two of my graduations, and I hope I can keep her legacy alive," she said. "I hope that I can do some of the things that she did." A Sheshatshiu woman is following in her grandmother's footsteps to become a nurse in Labrador 4 days ago Duration 2:47 Four years ago, at her high school graduation, Shtashin Penashue of Sheshatshiu told CBC News she wanted to become a nurse to follow in her grandmother's footsteps. On Thursday, she received her diploma in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and is making it a reality. Stashin Penashue honoured her great-grandmother by putting a photo of her on her graduation hat, worn while walking across the stage during the graduation ceremony. "When I graduated high school, I had her painting [with me] when I was taking my photos, so I thought I would take her on stage with me this time with my cap," she said, adding that she always feels her great-grandmother is with her, that she is never far away. David Penashue said his grandmother would be proud of his daughter. He describes the woman who raised him as a medicine woman, saying that she helped many people in Sheshatshiu. He said he is proud that his daughter will be carrying on that legacy in their family. "I'm proud of my daughter, that she's trying to move forward on that stuff, in [a] different way, you know, in the English way," he said. Stashin Penashue said she hopes that in her career as a nurse she will be able to bring traditional medicine to western medicine, and believes that someone who has an understanding of Innu people will be a huge asset to the health-care system. "I think it could make a huge difference because a lot of people are really closed off by a lot of different viewpoints, and I think it would help to have somebody who has lived here and they know how people are and like what customs they have," she said. "I think it's really important. It can make people way more comfortable to get regular health care." She plans to someday return to Sheshatshiu to work there as a nurse, but first she wants to pursue a nursing degree.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Dream come true: Woman from Sheshatshiu finishes nursing program using inspiration from family
As she graduated from Sheshatshiu Innu School in 2021, Stashin Penashue told the CBC she wanted to go into nursing. Last week that dream came true as she graduated from the College of the North Atlantic's licensed practical nursing program. "This is really important for me and for younger generations," she told CBC News outside of her graduation reception. She said she feels she will be a role model for youth in her community, and she isn't the only one who feels that way. Her father, David Penashue, says he believes she will inspire youth from Sheshatshiu. Like all parents at graduations, David Penashue reflected back on his daughter's younger years. Emotions bubbled to the surface. "It was very amazing for me, you know, it was a very good thing to see her walking on the stage. I remember when she was only just a baby and when she went to head start," he said. "Now she's graduating [to] be a nurse. Getting to her graduation, though, wasn't always easy. But Stashin Penashue says she learned an important lesson to never stop. After deaths in her family, it took her a year longer than she had planned to finish her program. "I had family members pass while I was in my first year, which made it very hard because it didn't just affect me, it affected my home life," she said. "Trying to come to school and learn, when my mind was somewhere else, was really hard." Inspired by great-grandmother The reason for pursuing nursing is because of her great-grandmother's work as a midwife, Stashin Penashue said. "I hope she'd be proud of me, since she missed, now, two of my graduations, and I hope I can keep her legacy alive," she said. "I hope that I can do some of the things that she did." Stashin Penashue honoured her great-grandmother by putting a photo of her on her graduation hat, worn while walking across the stage during the graduation ceremony. "When I graduated high school, I had her painting [with me] when I was taking my photos, so I thought I would take her on stage with me this time with my cap," she said, adding that she always feels her great-grandmother is with her, that she is never far away. David Penashue said his grandmother would be proud of his daughter. He describes the woman who raised him as a medicine woman, saying that she helped many people in Sheshatshiu. He said he is proud that his daughter will be carrying on that legacy in their family. "I'm proud of my daughter, that she's trying to move forward on that stuff, in [a] different way, you know, in the English way," he said. Stashin Penashue said she hopes that in her career as a nurse she will be able to bring traditional medicine to western medicine, and believes that someone who has an understanding of Innu people will be a huge asset to the health-care system. "I think it could make a huge difference because a lot of people are really closed off by a lot of different viewpoints, and I think it would help to have somebody who has lived here and they know how people are and like what customs they have," she said. "I think it's really important. It can make people way more comfortable to get regular health care." She plans to someday return to Sheshatshiu to work there as a nurse, but first she wants to pursue a nursing degree. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Climate
- Bloomberg
Octopus Invasion in English Channel Flags Marine Heat Wave Risks
Some English fisherman have hit the jackpot this season, hauling in tons of octopus, but the invasion of eight-legged molluscs also highlights the threat from marine heat waves. Persistent high-pressure weather patterns this spring accelerated the heating of an already unusually warm north Atlantic, blocking cooling westerly winds and smothering currents that stir up colder water layers deep in the ocean, said Paul Moore, a climatologist with Ireland's Met Éireann.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Deep-sea science expedition embarks on 40th voyage
A deep-sea science expedition has set-off for the 40th year to explore the depths of the North RSS James Cook left the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton on Friday morning to continue its long-term study of the Porcupine Abyssal roughly 500km from Southampton, scientists and crew will spend four weeks on-board using cameras and other equipment to monitor what goes on at depths of up to scientist on the expedition Dr Andrew Gates told the BBC technology now allowed more information to be captured than ever before. "One of the most important aspects of sustained observations like these is that we can study long-term change in the deep oceans," he said. Last week, temperatures in the seas around the UK and Ireland soared, with some areas 4C warmer than heatwave was most intense off the west coast of Ireland, as well as in pockets off the coasts of Cornwall and Devon, according to scientists at the National Oceanography Centre and the Met Gates said the whole of the water column was connected - what happens on the surface affects the ecology of the deep-sea bed. "The animals that are living at 5,000m in very cold waters are all reliant for their food on the sinking particles of tiny plants and animals," he said. "So changing processes in the upper ocean can affect the amount or quality of food that can reach those organisms." In the last 40 years methods of monitoring the deep-sea have changed dramatically, partly thanks to technology. Early expeditions would deploy most of their equipment over the side of the boat - samplers would pick up mud and water, and trawling devices would scrape the sea bed for invertebrates. The modern technology on-board the RSS James Cook consists of submersibles, hydrophones, and robotic submarine gliders. Dr Gates said: "The quantity of information that we're collecting as we're travelling around is probably the biggest change now."We've got instrumentation which is measuring the surface ocean as we travel. It's bringing in water to sensors that are measuring carbon dioxide, temperature, and salinity." Another piece of technology used onboard are hydrophones - an underwater device that detects and records ocean sounds from all directions. Scientist Dr Dara Farrell said the devices helped identify mammal vocalisation, human activity, and even underwater landslides. "We're just going to try and find out what is out there," she another deployment, she explained how she saw a line on a particular frequency of a spectrogram that looked strange. "We hypothesized that is was due to fish that have swim bladders releasing air to change their position in the water," she said."Without video evidence you're never quite totally sure but it's really cool." For Southampton University student Ben Walker, this expedition will be his first. He is helping conduct research on a specific species of anthropoid, which was first discovered in the Porcupine Abyssal Plain on the first mission there. What he finds will help contribute to his masters degree next year, and he said he felt honoured to be onboard the ship. "To look around and see nothing but the sea knowing you're 4,800m above the sea floor and to actually get samples from there and actually look at them and be able to see them as they come up is an amazing feeling," he said. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
