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We Need to Change Our Assumptions About Gas Plant Reliability

Union of Concerned Scientists

Gas plants failed at a scale that jeopardized grid reliability for large regions of the United States during severe winter storms in 2011 , 2014 , 2018 , 2021 , and 2022. We used the exact same assumptions as in our Net Zero Pathway, which represents a least-cost mix of technologies and resources for meeting US climate targets.

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What are the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence? 

Union of Concerned Scientists

One growing conversation in the use or non-use of GenAI is the environmental implications of the technology in every step of its life cycle. The communities breathing polluted air near data centers or those experiencing increased energy costs are the ones at the frontline of the technology’s impacts and often last its benefits.

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River of the Anthropocene

Circle of Blue

Although the Khmer Empire is long gone, the use of the Mekong river system has only increased with population growth and the advancement of technology. The Cambodian government estimated in 2014 that building projects in Phnom Penh require at least 15,000 to 20,000 cubic meters of sand per day, or six Olympic-sized swimming pools.

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Intercalation-based desalination and carbon capture for water and climate sustainability

Physics World

With increased water scarcity and global warming looming, electrochemical technology offers low-energy mitigation pathways via desalination and carbon capture. His group uses understanding of flow, transport, and thermodynamics in electrochemical devices and materials to innovate toward separations, energy storage, and conversion.

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Viewpoint: India’s electric railway revolution

A Greener Life

It was in 2014 that the government ramped up ambitions and committed the funds for a fully electric railway. Technological improvements have gone hand in hand with more clean energy in the generation mix, and with every passing year, theres more renewable energy coming online. The pace of change doubled and then doubled again.

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COP30: Twelve environmental facts about Brazil in 2025

A Greener Life

By Amber Brady Ahead of the pivotal 2025 COP30 summit, which will take place in November and December, Amber Brady provides an updated version of our 2014 piece on Brazil’s environmental facts. Aerial view of the Amazon Rainforest, near Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. GW, and solar capacity surpassed 25.5

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Nearly Half of US Breathes Unhealthy Levels of Pollution—Cars and Trucks Largely to Blame

Union of Concerned Scientists

The ALA has a supplemental series, Something in the Air , that explores emerging and other technologies such as the use of satellites to collect data and help understand the pollution exposure in under-monitored regions. Analyzing vehicle pollution control technologies and testing pollution emissions from vehicles. Letter from Dr. H.

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