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Ask a Scientist: What’s the Future for Trucks?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Big rigs, box trucks, and buses are part of our lives and economies. Almost everything we buy is carried by trucks, which move billions of tons of goods each year. School buses that bring kids to school, city buses that serve commuters, garbage and recycling trucks that keep streets clean, 18-wheelers that haul goods: these are all classified as medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

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Climate change in Africa

Real Climate

While there have been some recent set-backs within science and climate research and disturbing news about NOAA , there is also continuing efforts on responding to climate change. During my travels to Mozambique and Ghana, I could sense a real appreciation for knowledge, and an eagerness to learn how to calculate risks connected to climate change. Recent events have shown incredibly high rainfall amounts that have devastated cities and countries , as well as droughts that have exacerbated the ris

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Why I Don’t Buy Data Centers’ Claims They Can Leapfrog Over Utilities 

Union of Concerned Scientists

In the rush to integrate artificial intelligence into the economy, fast-moving information technology companies are running into a problem: slow-moving electric utilities. In more ways than one, the electricity supply so vital to running a data center simply doesnt respond the way Silicon Valley and big investors want. Broadly speaking, developers of data centers, which house the computers and servers that run AI tasks, are looking for three things: places to build, electricity to buy, and physi

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Carbon Dioxide Levels Highest in 800,000 Years

Yale E360

Temperatures and carbon dioxide levels hit new highs last year, according to a U.N. report detailing the dire state of the global climate.

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How to Drive Cost Savings, Efficiency Gains, and Sustainability Wins with MES

Speaker: Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions

Is your manufacturing operation reaching its efficiency potential? A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) could be the game-changer, helping you reduce waste, cut costs, and lower your carbon footprint. Join Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions, in this value-packed webinar as he breaks down how MES can drive operational excellence and sustainability.

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PennEnvironment Releases New Report On The Success Of Wildlife Corridors In Reconnecting Habitat To Protect Native Species, Prevent Vehicle Collisions

PA Environment Daily

On March 19, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center released its newest report, Wildlife Corridors: How Reconnecting Habitat Is Protecting Pennsylvanias Native Species , on the successes so far with wildlife corridors. The report details how state agencies and conservation groups are preserving and reconnecting wildlife habitats in Pennsylvania using a wide variety of innovative strategies including engineered crossings, travel corridors and habitat stepping stones.

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A stark warning for UK blanket bog

The Applied Ecologist

Jonny Ritson talks us through the latest modelling study, conducted alongside colleagues, aiming to determine how suitable future conditions will be for both peat accumulation andSphagnumsurvival in the UK. Bioclimatic envelope models have been used as a tool to map the climate conditions under which specific habitats occur.

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Peruvian Farmer Sues German Energy Giant Over Its Role in Climate Change

Yale E360

Hearings began Monday in a landmark climate case in Hamm, Germany, where a Peruvian farmer is suing energy giant RWE over its role in warming.

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Steelton-Highspire School District, Tröegs Independent Brewing Show Benefits Of Going Solar, Driving Electric Busses In Dauphin County

PA Environment Daily

On March 14, a tour of Steelton-Highspire School District facilities and Tregs Independent Brewing in Dauphin County shows the benefits of going solar and electric school buses. Local officials and residents, including Sen. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin), Rep. Dave Madsen (D-Dauphin), Steelton Manager Kathy McCool, and Highspire Mayor Von Hess, joined leaders from Steelton-Highspire School District, the nonprofit environmental group PennEnvironment , McClure Company , and First Student for an informative

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New Study Reinforces Worries About Pulses of Rapid Sea Level Rise

Inside Climate News

An analysis of peat layers at the bottom of the North Sea shows how fast sea level rose during the end of the last ice age, when Earth was warming at a similar rate as today. By Bob Berwyn A new analysis of ancient layers of peat at the bottom of the North Sea will help scientists more accurately project how much sea level will rise in the coming decades and centuries.

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The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Lasting Imprint on Global Sea Levels 

Union of Concerned Scientists

The fossil fuel industrys role in driving climate change is undeniable, yet corporate accountability remains a contested space. As the scientific evidence strengthens, courts around the world are increasingly considering the role of major fossil fuel companies in climate-related damages. Our latest research published today in Environmental Research Letters adds a critical piece to this legal and scientific puzzle by quantifying how emissions from the worlds largest fossil fuel and cement produce

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The Key to Sustainable Energy Optimization: A Data-Driven Approach for Manufacturing

Speaker: Kevin Kai Wong, President of Emergent Energy Solutions

In today's industrial landscape, the pursuit of sustainable energy optimization and decarbonization has become paramount. ♻️ Manufacturing corporations across the U.S. are facing the urgent need to align with decarbonization goals while enhancing efficiency and productivity. Unfortunately, the lack of comprehensive energy data poses a significant challenge for manufacturing managers striving to meet their targets. 📊 Join us for a practical webinar hosted by Kevin Kai Wong of Emergent Ene

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WMO: Update on 2023/4 Anomalies

Real Climate

The WMO released its (now) annual s tate of the climate report this week. As well as the (now) standard set of graphs related to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations , rising temperatures , reducing glacier mass, etc., Zeke Hausfather and I wrote up a short synthesis on the contributions to recent temperature anomalies. Readers will recall our previou s discussions on the anomalies in 2023 in particular, and the myriad of ideas that people have published to explain them.

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Imperiled in the Wild, Many Plants May Survive Only in Gardens

Yale E360

As the impacts of climate change and other threats mount, conservationists are racing to preserve endangered plant species in botanical garden metacollections in the hope of eventually returning them to the wild. But what happens when there is no suitable habitat to return them to?

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City & State PA Hosts April 22 Energy Summit - The Future Of Energy In Pennsylvania

PA Environment Daily

City & State PA will host an April 22 [Earth Day] Energy Summit - The Future Of Energy In Pennsylvania at the Harrisburg Hilton from 8:30 a.m. to Noon. Pennsylvanias energy landscape is undergoing a major transformation! At the Pennsylvania Energy Summit on April 22, industry leaders and policymakers will tackle key challenges, policy shifts, and the clean energy transition shaping the states future.

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Amazon Files Suit against CPSC, Challenging CPSC’s Determination That Amazon Is a Distributor

Nanotech

On March 14, 2025, Amazon filed suit against the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, challenging CPSCs July 29, 2024, and January 16, 2025, orders determining that Amazon is a distributor of certain products that are defective or fail to meet federal consumer product safety standards, and therefore bears legal responsibility for their recall.

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Implementing D.E.J.I. Strategies in Energy, Environment, and Transportation

Speaker: Antoine M. Thompson, Executive Director of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition

Diversity, Equity, Justice, and Inclusion (DEJI) policies, programs, and initiatives are critically important as we move forward with public and private sector climate and sustainability goals and plans. Underserved and socially, economically, and racially disadvantaged communities bear the burden of pollution, higher energy costs, limited resources, and limited investments in the clean energy and transportation sectors.

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How Do ‘Future Climate Scenarios’ Shape Climate Science and Inform Policy? 

Union of Concerned Scientists

The IPCC compiles scientific insights on climate change, informing policymakers and the public about risks and possible actions. One of its core tools is the use of future scenarios. Climate models and climate impact studies use emission scenariosestimates of potential future changes in heat-trapping emissionsto help us see how choices made about emissions today can shape tomorrows climate.

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New Report on Liability Considerations for Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal in the U.S.

Law Columbia

The burning of fossil fuels and other human activities are continuing to cause rapid temperature rise. 2024 was the hottest year on record , and the planets 10 warmest years since 1850 have occurred in the past decade. Achieving global climate goals will require rapid and dramatic greenhouse gas emissions reductions, along with the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

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African Solar Installations Headed for Banner Year

Yale E360

African solar installations are projected to grow by 42 percent this year, according to an industry group.

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Philadelphia Solar Energy Assn.: Solar Panel Recycling, Refurbishment Now Available In Philly Area

PA Environment Daily

The Philadelphia Solar Energy Association reports Sycamore International , a successful local electronics recycling company, has expanded its operation into solar reuse and recycling. Sycamore will test solar material, and separate equipment that can be reused from that which needs to be recycled. They can accept panels, inverters, racking, and other components.

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Shaping a Resilient Future: Climate Impact on Vulnerable Populations

Speaker: Laurie Schoeman Director, Climate & Sustainability, Capital

As households and communities across the nation face challenges such as hurricanes, wildfires, drought, extreme heat and cold, and thawing permafrost and flooding, we are increasingly searching for ways to mitigate and prevent climate impacts. During this event, national climate and housing expert Laurie Schoeman will discuss topics including: The two paths for climate action: decarbonization and adaptation.

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Two-fingered dinosaur used its enormous claws to eat leaves

New Scientist

A dinosaur fossil discovered in Mongolia boasts the largest ever complete claw, but the herbivorous species only used it to grasp vegetation

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How Major Carbon Producers Drive Sea Level Rise and Climate Injustice

Union of Concerned Scientists

In a new study released today, UCS attributes substantial temperature and sea level rise to emissions traced to the largest fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers. And for the first time, we extend sea level projections into the future, quantifying how past heat-trapping emissions from the fossil fuel industry will impact the world for centuries to come.

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RFK, Jr. Wants to Let Bird Flu Spread on Poultry Farms. Why Experts Are Concerned

Scientific American

Health secretary RFK, Jr. has repeatedly suggested that farmers should let bird flu spread through flocks.

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Grass-Fed Beef No Better for Climate Than Industrial Beef, Study Finds

Yale E360

New research finds that, pound for pound, grazing cattle generate at least as much heat-trapping gas as those raised in feedlots.

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Sustainability at Retail

Sustainability impacts every nation, company, and person around the world. So much so that, in 2015, the United Nations (UN) issued a call for action by all countries to work toward sustainable development. In response to this and as part of a global Sustainability at Retail initiative, Shop! worked collaboratively with its global affiliates to address these critical issues in this white paper.

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Natural Lands Preserves 2 Forested Properties Totaling 151 Acres In Berks, Lancaster, Lebanon Counties

PA Environment Daily

On March 19, Natural Lands announced the preservation of two wooded properties that were transferred to state agencies. They provide critical habitat for migratory songbirds and other wildlife. The acreage will now be open to the public for visitation and recreation and will never be developed. The first property is a nearly 139-acre forested tract in both Heidelberg Township, Lebanon County, and Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County.

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AI scientists are sceptical that modern models will lead to AGI

New Scientist

In a survey of AI researchers, most say current AI models are unlikely to lead to artificial general intelligence with human-level capabilities, even as companies invest billions of dollars in this goal

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Our Environmental Movement Outrageously SLAPPed in the Face

Union of Concerned Scientists

In the March 19th verdict in Energy Transfer v Greenpeace , a North Dakota county jury awarded more than $660 million to one of the largest energy companies in North America because Greenpeace supported the efforts of Indigenous Water Protectors in their protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This verdict is an outrage because it undermines Tribal leadership and sovereignty.

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Frozen Cosmic Sound Bubbles Suggest Dark Energy Is Shockingly Changeable

Scientific American

A new map of cosmic expansion suggests that dark energy evolves over time, hinting that the universe doesn’t work the way we thought it did

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Farmers Speak Out on the Devastating Impact of USDA Funding Freeze

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

Farmer Patrick Brown speaking at a recent NSAC virtual briefing On March 6, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) hosted a virtual briefing: Impact in the Field How the USDA Funding Freeze and Employee Layoffs are Impacting Farmers and Ranchers. Five farmers from around the country joined NSACs policy director, Mike Lavender, for a panel discussion to voice their concerns about the ongoing funding freeze severely impacting agricultural programs and farmers across the country.

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DEP Chesapeake Bay Program Healthy Waters Update Highlights Many Partner Accomplishments; Critical Federal Support For Bay Cleanup; 2,100 More Best Management Practices Installed Than In Previous Year

PA Environment Daily

The latest Health Waters newsletter update on the Chesapeake Bay Program highlights accomplishments by many partners during 2024, including the installation of over 2,100 more best management practices than in 2023. Nearly 16,700 BMPs Installed The 2024 Chesapeake Bay Best Management Practice (BMP) Progress Year reporting process is nearing completion, with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division having finalized its nonpoint source data submissions ahead of EPAs deadline.

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Dark energy isn't what we thought – and that may transform the cosmos

New Scientist

Our current best theories of the universe suggest that dark energy is making it expand faster and faster, but new observations from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument suggest this mysterious force is actually growing weaker

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What Is a Climate Model and How Does It Work?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Climate models are the main tool climate scientists use to predict how Earth will respond to more heat-trapping pollutants in the atmosphere. But what exactly is a climate model? Lets start off easy by breaking down the phrase climate model.” The climate is simply the weather averaged over a long period of time. A model in this case is a physical approximation of a complex system.

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USAID Funding Saved Millions of Children’s Lives. Recent Cuts Put It in Jeopardy

Scientific American

USAID investments significantly reduced deaths among children under age five and women of reproductive age, studies show

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Peatland Algae to Soak Up More Carbon as Planet Warms

Yale E360

New research finds that microalgae in northern peat bogs will absorb more carbon dioxide as the planet warms, helping to take a bite out of emissions.