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Ships backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idle

Ships backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idle

Supply chain crisisShips backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idleThe Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, two of the nation’s busiest, create more than 100 tons a day of smog that choke local communities Gabrielle Canon in Los Angeles@GabrielleCanonFri 15 Oct 2021 07.05 EDTLast modified on Fri 15 Oct 2021 07.07 EDTDozens of behemoth cargo ships adorned with tall stacks of brightly colored containers still dot the coastline off southern California. Part of a shipping bottleneck plaguing US ports, the ships – their diesel-fueled engines always ablaze – are also pumping out pollutants as they idle, anchored off-shore.The clogged supply chain has been described as an economic calamity as the delayed cargo caused shortages in common goods and drove consumer prices higher. But environmentalists and public health advocates are concerned it’s also turning into a climate catastrophe.The container ships awaiting entry are compounding the levels of contaminants that have long come from the ports and that impact the local environment, coastal communities and ambitious carbon targets needed to curb the worst effects of climate change. With the holiday shopping frenzy just around the corner, there are now concerns the problem may get worse before it gets better.“The conversation right now is really focused on supply chain backlog and refilling the shelves with products – but that’s not the whole story,” said Madeline Rose, the climate campaign director for Pacific Environment, a climate advocacy organization that has …

Biden orders companies to ease supply chain bottlenecks or he’ll ‘call them out’

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Joe Biden Biden orders companies to ease supply chain bottlenecks or he’ll ‘call them out’President eager to avert political damage from choked ports, highways and railways causing higher prices and empty shelves David Smith in Washington@smithinamericaWed 13 Oct 2021 16.58 EDTLast modified on Wed 13 Oct 2021 19.16 EDTJoe Biden has warned companies that he will “call them out” if they fail to “step up” to ease supply chain bottlenecks ahead of the holiday season.The US president, facing grim opinion polls and a stalling legislative agenda, is eager to avert fresh political damage from choked ports, highways and railways resulting in higher prices and empty shelves.‘You never know what you’re going to get’: US supply chain woes leave schools scrambling to feed kids lunchRead more“I know you’re hearing a lot about something called supply chains and how hard it is to get a range of things from a toaster to sneakers to bicycles to bedroom furniture,” Biden acknowledged in a short address at the White House on Wednesday. “With the holidays coming up, you might be wondering if the gifts you plan to buy will arrive on time.”Biden announced that the Port of Los Angeles – which has recently suffered a record backlog – will expand to 24/7 operations, following the example of the Port of Long Beach, also in California.About 40% of shipping containers imported to the US come through the two ports, …

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Why it’s high time to move on from ‘just-in-time’ supply chains | Kim Moody

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OpinionSupply chain crisisWhy it’s high time to move on from ‘just-in-time’ supply chains K …

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Worker shortage will lead to UK food price rises, industry warns

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Worker shortage will lead to UK food price rises, industry warns Wholesale firms have been trying to mitigate rising costs ‘but will not be able to continue absorbing them’ Joanna Partridge — Fri 3 Sep 2021 04.41 EDT — The UK’s wholesale food industry is warning that it cannot protect consumers from price rises forever, […]

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