Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 29, 2024

My colleague Dr. Kristy Dahl and I arrived in Sofia, Bulgaria, last week for the 61st session of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We are here to engage in early discussions about timelines and content for this cycle of IPCC reports. Over the next week, we will hear delegations and organizations from all across the world discuss, debate, and make decisions that will set the stage for this 7th cycle of the IPCC.

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Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Paris Agreement 281

New Scientist

JULY 29, 2024

A mathematical model suggests there is an unusual region of space where objects can get pulled into the sun’s orbit – meaning we may have to redraw the boundary of the solar system

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Scientific American

JULY 29, 2024

Researchers combined the drug harmine with a medication similar to Ozempic to boost the number and function of human insulin-producing cells transplanted into mice

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New Scientist

JULY 29, 2024

With coral reefs around the world struggling in the face of warming oceans, should we swap out native species with heat-tolerant ones from elsewhere?

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Ocean 142

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.

Waste

Enviromental Defense

JULY 29, 2024

Summertime for many people represents a time of relaxation and fun. Increasingly it’s becoming synonymous with heatwaves and extreme weather events caused by climate change. As the climate continues to change and average global temperatures rise, heat domes, heat waves, and extreme temperatures days will become more frequent. For example, research by climate scientists working with the Canadian government show that the recent June heatwave in Ontario, Quebec and several Atlantic regions was two

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Fossil Fuels Cooling Climate Change Electricity 131

New Scientist

JULY 29, 2024

An analysis of 20,000 metal objects from Bronze Age Europe suggests human economic behavior may not have changed much over the past 3500 years

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New Scientist

JULY 29, 2024

A subatomic particle called the muon caused waves when its experimental behaviour didn't align with a prediction based on the standard model.

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Scientific American

JULY 29, 2024

The EPA plans to propose a rule in 2025 that will tackle methane emissions from landfills, one of the country's largest sources of the greenhouse gas

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Climate Change 2025 Greenhouse 142

New Scientist

JULY 29, 2024

Semaglutide-based medicines such as Ozempic and Wegovy, which can help people lose weight, may also reduce tobacco cravings

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Scientific American

JULY 29, 2024

People can form surprisingly strong bonds with others—even when that tie is one-sided

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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

2024

PA Environment Daily

JULY 29, 2024

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.” -- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion] Click Here To View Or Print The Entire Jul

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Conservation 2024 Recycling Air Pollution 87

New Scientist

JULY 29, 2024

The first generation of stars changed the course of cosmic history.

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Inside Climate News

JULY 29, 2024

Microbial marine life can thrive off the black carbon released from wildfires and bolster the oceanic carbon sink. Scientists still emphasize their sequestration role has its limits. By Jenaye Johnson Just last year wildfires generated over 2.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions around the globe. That’s the equivalent of driving 500 million gas-powered cars around for a year, according to the EPA.

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Carbon Dioxide Ocean Carbon Emissions 83

Scientific American

JULY 29, 2024

We cover extreme weather, cocaine sharks and komodo dragons with iron-tipped teeth in this week’s news roundup.

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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.

Clean Energy

PA Environment Daily

JULY 29, 2024

The Pennsylvania Resources Council ’s Traveling Glass Recycling Bin Program provides a free recycling service that rotates through a variety of locations in Pennsylvania. This innovative program provides residents with a higher quality glass recycling option than typical curbside programs, ensuring that glass deposited into the bin meets the highest standards and can be fully recycled.

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Scientific American

JULY 29, 2024

Social media exploits our evolved need for information, feeding us fluff and outright misinformation.

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PA Environment Daily

JULY 29, 2024

Pittsburgh-based Group Against Smog and Pollution posted the Allegheny County Health Department notice on a new Allegheny County climate resiliency local project grant application solicitation-- On July 29, the Allegheny County Health Department announced its Clean Air Fund is seeking applications for the funding of fleet electrification, tree canopy expansion, equipment electrification, and climate resiliency/adaptation projects with $5 million in total allocated for the initiatives.

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Air Pollution Government 2024 Environmental Protection 76

NRDC

JULY 29, 2024

A coalition of environmental and environmental justice organizations are fighting a proposed new Golden State Natural Resources (GSNR) wood pellet storage and export terminal in Stockton, California. Today, amidst a troubling relationship with dirty British multinational bioenergy company Drax and.

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Natural Resources 52

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.

2022

Environmental News Bits

JULY 29, 2024

by Hussein Dia, Swinburne University of Technology Just last year, data suggested plug-in hybrid cars were on the way out in Australia. But they’re back. New data shows plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrids combined have overtaken battery electric vehicle sales in the first quarter of 2024. The trend continued during April and May. In the … Continue reading Hybrid cars are having a moment – even though they’re dirtier than we think.

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Electricity 2024 Technology Technology 52

Nanotech

JULY 29, 2024

On July 27, 2024, Canada’s Minister of the Environment published a Canada Gazette notice announcing a mandatory survey to obtain information on the manufacture, import, and use of 312 specific per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Canada’s “Guidance manual for responding to the: Notice with respect to certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)” (Guidance Manual) states that the purpose of the notice is to collect information on certain PFAS substances, either alone, in mixtures, pr

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2025 2024 45

Environmental News Bits

JULY 29, 2024

Lu, F., Murai, E., Campbell, S. et al. “Building more epistemically inclusive and environmentally equitable universities.” Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences (2024). [link] [open access] Abstract Higher educational institutions tend to draw from mainstream approaches to environmentalism that reinforce race, class, and gender hierarchies around who constitutes “an environmentalist” and what activities constitute “environmentalism.

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2024 52

Nanotech

JULY 29, 2024

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) will hold its annual stakeholder meeting will on November 14, 2024. The meeting will take place in person at the USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, Maryland, with an option for virtual attendance. The meeting will include updates on: BRS requests feedback on discussion topics for the meeting.

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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.

Sustainable Development

Environmental News Bits

JULY 29, 2024

Rioux-Gobeil, F., & Thomassin, A. (2024). A just energy transition for Indigenous peoples: From ideal deliberation to fairness in Canada and Australia. Energy Research & Social Science, 114, 103593. [link] Abstract In response to the global climate crisis, renewable energy projects are being developed on Indigenous territories.

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Renewable Energy 2024 52

Nanotech

JULY 29, 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 25, 2024, that it is proposing to designate acetaldehyde, acrylonitrile, benzenamine, vinyl chloride, and 4,4-methylene bis(2-chloroaniline) (MBOCA) as high-priority substances (HPS) for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 89 Fed. Reg. 60420. EPA is providing a 90-day comment period, during which interested persons may submit comments on the proposed designations of these chemicals as HPSs for risk evalua

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Toxic Substances Control Act Environmental Protection 2024 45

Environmental News Bits

JULY 29, 2024

Sousa-Silva, R., Feurer, M., Morhart, C. et al. “Seeing the Trees Without the Forest: What and How can Agroforestry and Urban Forestry Learn from Each Other?” Current Forestry Reports 10, 239–254 (2024). [link] [open access] Abstract Purpose of Review Agroforestry and urban forestry have evolved mainly as separate disciplines, although they share a long history … Continue reading Seeing the Trees Without the Forest: What and How can Agroforestry and Urban Forestry Learn from Ea

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2024 52

PA Environment Daily

JULY 29, 2024

On July 29, Appalachian Voices urged Congress to oppose proposed federal energy facility permitting legislation which reduces the opportunities for communities that would be directly affected by these projects and other stakeholders to challenge energy projects. Last week, US Sens. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., and John Barasso, R-Wyo., released text for a new energy permitting legislation — the proposed Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 — which proposed to significantly overhaul the process for revi

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Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Natural Gas Natural Resources 84

Environmental News Bits

JULY 29, 2024

Read the full story in the Washington Post. Over the weekend, the Park Fire grew to more than 360,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders and warnings around Chico, California in Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties. In the days ahead, Cal Fire will seek to contain the blaze to reduce harm to people, structures and the environment.

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Endangered Species Law

JULY 29, 2024

On July 18, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (“Fifth Circuit”) vacated a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas (“District Court”) that upheld the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) 2022 environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) rule (“ESG Rule”).

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Government 2022 64

Environmental News Bits

JULY 29, 2024

Read the full story in the Chicago Sun-Times. Montrose has become a living education center for the endangered piping plover, five years after the birds again began nesting in Illinois and gaining a fan base far beyond the shores of Lake Michigan.

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PA Environment Daily

JULY 29, 2024

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.” - - Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion] Senate Fall Voting Schedule -- September

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Natural Gas Politics Conservation Natural Resources 106

Environmental News Bits

JULY 29, 2024

Read the full interview transcript from the 21st Show. For decades, invasive carp have been a problem in waterways like the Mississippi and the Illinois Rivers. The federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative put more than half a million dollars toward not just rebranding the fish, but making it available and appealing across the country. Now, the … Continue reading Has Illinois’ copi rebrand helped curb invasive carp?

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NRDC

JULY 29, 2024

The Biden-Harris administration has racked up the most impressive list of environmental justice achievements in our nation’s history. But one major priority—finalizing the Lead and Copper Rule—still has not made it across the White House finish line. It’s urgent that EPA submit the rule for review by the Office of Budget and Management and for that Office to clear it ASAP to meet the pending October deadline.

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