Fri.Jul 19, 2024

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Chinese nuclear reactor is completely meltdown-proof

New Scientist

The first ever full-scale demonstration of a nuclear reactor designed to passively cool itself in an emergency was a success, showing that it should be possible to build nuclear plants without the risk of dangerous meltdown

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Worldwide Tech Outage Started with Defective Crowdstrike Update to Microsoft Windows

Scientific American

An issue with a commonly used security software called Crowdstrike shuttered large technology systems around the globe, including airlines, transit systems and stock exchanges

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Green belts around cities help keep them cool

New Scientist

Areas of rural countryside around cities are intended to prevent urban sprawl, but can also influence the climate within cities - and now researchers have quantified this cooling effect

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Cleaning up the Poop-Polluted Seine for the Paris Olympics

Scientific American

The Seine will be the stage for the Paris 2024 Olympics’ Opening Ceremony—and for its marathon swimming events. But this urban waterway is challenging to keep clean.

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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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Windows computers around the world are failing in a major outage

New Scientist

An update to a piece of software called CrowdStrike Falcon Sensor appears to be negatively impacting Windows computers worldwide, with banks, airports, broadcasters and more finding that devices display a "blue screen of death" instead of booting up

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Observations of an Amateur Beach Litter Picker

Enviromental Defense

This is a guest blog by Lynn Tremain, a retired elementary school teacher who lives in Ontario. Her love of nature has been nurtured by a 45 year (love) relationship with Pinery Provincial Park on the shores of beautiful Lake Huron. Lynn is working to help raise the awareness of her local MP, Lianne Rood, with regard to the issue of plastic pollution at the lake.

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Stingrays Move Thousands of Tons of Sand on the Seafloor per Year

Scientific American

In search of snacks, stingrays' feeding technique supports ecosystems by rearranging the underwater geography

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Covid-19 hit women harder than men in India, unlike most of the world

New Scientist

A new analysis of deaths during the covid-19 pandemic estimates that women and those in certain minority groups experienced the greatest declines in life expectancy

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Paris Olympics Will Be a Training Ground for AI-Powered Mass Surveillance

Scientific American

In the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, the French government has authorized wide-reaching use of AI software in security surveillance feeds

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DEP Posted 61 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 20 PA Bulletin

PA Environment Daily

Highlights of the environmental and energy notices in the July 20 PA Bulletin -- -- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 20 [PaEN] -- The Public Utility Commission published notice in the July 20 PA Bulletin of a final implementation order on the Valuation of Acquired Municipal Water & Wastewater Systems Under Act 12 of 2016. -- The Susquehanna River Basin Commission published notice in the July 20 PA Bulletin announcing an August 1 hearing

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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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What’s the Secret behind Ozempic’s Sweeping Health Benefits?

Scientific American

Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 drugs are being investigated as treatments for many health conditions—from dementia to addiction to kidney problems

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Celebrating Amazon’s Sustainability Achievements 

Cresforum

Amazon recently released its 2023 Sustainability Report , which outlines their dedication to carbon-free energy and showcases U.S. industry leadership in clean energy. The report announces that Amazon achieved a 3 percent decrease in absolute carbon emissions and a 13 percent decrease in carbon intensity from 2022, reaching its goal to power global operations with 100 percent renewable energy seven years ahead of their 2030 target.

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Dogs’ Visible Emotions Are Muddled by Floppy Ears and Short, Squished Faces

Scientific American

Pugs, Boston terriers, bulldogs and boxers—dogs with less wolflike facial features are worse at conveying their feelings

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Protect PT To Host July 30 Community Meeting For Residents Near Westmoreland Landfill, Monessen Coke Works In Monessen, Westmoreland County

PA Environment Daily

Local nonprofit Protect PT invites area residents close to the Westmoreland Landfill, located in Rostraver, and the Monessen Coke Works, near-by in Monessen to attend a July 30 educational session at the Monessen Public Library, 329 Donner Avenue in Monessen, Westmoreland County starting at 5:30 p.m. This educational session is part of Protect PT’s EPA funded study Clean Air For All: Knowledge is Power, which focuses on three local sources of air pollution in Westmoreland and Allegheny County.

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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 SpaceX Will Adapt the Dragon Vehicle to Destroy the ISS

Scientific American

SpaceX will supercharge its Dragon capsule to send the International Space Station to a watery retirement

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Microplastics: A One Health priority agenda

Environmental News Bits

Biswas, Ripan; Debnath, Chanchal; Barua, Rahul; Samanta, Indranil. (2024). “Microplastics: A One Health priority agenda.” One Health Bulletin 10.4103/ohbl.ohbl_18_24. [open access] Abstract Interdisciplinary approaches are increasingly recognized as crucial for strengthening and integrating health systems. The implementation within One Health framework needs more guidelines for successful execution.

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Chang’e 6 Lunar Samples Could Solve Mysteries of the Moon’s Far Side

Scientific American

Material from the moon’s far side collected by China’s Chang’e 6 spacecraft could solve a long-standing lunar mystery

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Beyond the factory: Ten interdisciplinary lessons for industrial decarbonisation practice and policy

Environmental News Bits

Sovacool, B. K., AbdulRafiu, A., Hudson, M., McManus, M., Korre, A., Marr, I., Howard, C., & Maroto-Valer, M. M. (2024). “Beyond the factory: Ten interdisciplinary lessons for industrial decarbonisation practice and policy.” Energy Reports, 11, 5935–5946. [link] Abstract Industry is a crucial but extremely challenging sector to decarbonise.

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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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Between Twister and Twisters, Tornado Science Has Improved a Lot in Three Decades

Scientific American

Three decades of tornado science research is now at play in the new summer flick Twisters

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Coral reef recovery could get a boost from an unlikely source: Sea cucumbers, the janitors of the seafloor

Environmental News Bits

by Mark Hay, Georgia Institute of Technology Sea cucumbers, scavengers of the seafloor that resemble the cylindrical vegetable, have been consumed as a delicacy in Asia for centuries. But in recent decades, they’ve been severely overharvested to a point that they are now quite rare.

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EPA Releases Draft Risk Evaluation for 1,1-Dichloroethane and Draft Hazard Assessment of 1,2-Dichloroethane for Public Comment and Peer Review

Nanotech

On July 1, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of the draft risk evaluation for 1,1-dichloroethane (1,1-DCE) and the draft human health hazard assessment supporting the draft risk evaluation for 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCE, also known as ethylene dichloride) prepared under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

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For a century, it’s been illegal to swim in the Seine. Will Paris’s clean-up make the river safe for Olympic swimmers?

Environmental News Bits

by Ian A. Wright, Western Sydney University Five eagerly anticipated events in the Paris Olympics will be the mens and womens 10 kilometre marathon swimming races, as well as the 1,500 metre swimming section of three triathlon events. Why? Because all will be held in the Seine River in the centre of Paris. The swimmers … Continue reading For a century, it’s been illegal to swim in the Seine.

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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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Lynn L. Bergeson Quoted in Chemical Processing Article “What Ditching The Chevron Deference Means for the Chemical Industry”

Nanotech

On July 19, 2024, comments by Lynn L. Bergeson were featured in Chemical Processing’s article on what the Supreme Court ruling that overturned the landmark 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) means for the chemical industry. But not all influence is lost, according to Lynn Bergeson, Chemical Processing’s compliance columnist and managing director at Bergeson & Campbell.

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The ongoing battle against underground storage tank leaks

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story from Environment + Energy Leader. Owning and operating an underground storage tank (UST) involves serious practical and legal responsibilities. These systems have the potential to leak, often going unnoticed for long periods, resulting in severe environmental damage and costly clean-ups.

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PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - July 20

PA Environment Daily

The following notices were published in the July 20 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities. Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments. -- The Susquehanna River Basin Commission published notice in the July 20 PA Bulletin announcing an August 1 hearing on water withdrawal requests, including for the proposed Amazon Data Center in Luzerne County, seven shale gas development and a UGI power plant.

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Cemeteries can be damaged by climate change—and provide climate refuge

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story at Inside Climate News. Around the world, extreme weather events are increasingly damaging gravesites, forcing communities to grapple with new ways to protect cemeteries as climate change accelerates.

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Susquehanna River Basin Commission Holds Aug. 1 Hearing On Water Withdrawal Requests For Amazon Data Center, Luzerne County; 8 Shale Gas Development, Gas Power Plant Withdrawals

PA Environment Daily

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold a hearing August 1 on water withdrawal requests, including for the proposed Amazon Data Center in Luzerne County, seven shale gas development and a UGI power plant. The projects are scheduled for action at the Commission's September 12 business meeting. Withdrawal Project List -- Project Sponsor and Facility: Amazon Data Services, Inc.

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‘It’s unbearable’: in ever-hotter US cities, air conditioning is no longer enough

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story in The Guardian. Conventional wisdom and public policy have long operated on the assumption that, no matter how bad the heat gets, air conditioning will be enough to keep people safe. But the last few years of record-breaking temperatures are shattering that myth.

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The Derrick: Are Rate Increases In The Future For Rhodes Estate Water Companies In Venango County? [Impacts Continue From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Contamination Of Water Supply]

PA Environment Daily

On July 19, 2024, The Derrick published an update on events surrounding the Public Utility Commission’s proceeding on whether to order another water company to take over one or more of seven small water and wastewater companies when a spring serving as a source of water for the Venango Water Company and the Village of Reno was contaminated by a conventional oil well wastewater spill on July 19, 2023.

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Skills Matter: Shaping a Just Transition for Workers in the Energy Sector

Environmental News Bits

Download the report. The transition to a net zero economy is both a necessity and an opportunity for the UK. The significant reduction in gas demand required to meet our legally binding net zero targets can, for example, help improve our energy security by reducing gas imports, lower our energy bills, and create new jobs.

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DEP Sets Aug. 21 Hearing On Air Quality Permit For Equitrans LP Compressor Station In Union Twp., Washington County

PA Environment Daily

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the July 20 PA Bulletin of an August 21 hearing on an Air Quality permit for an Equitrans LP compressor station located in Union Township, Washington County. ( PA Bulletin, page 4162 ) The hearing will be held at the DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive in Pittsburgh starting at 10:00 a.m.

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A shark in the Great Lakes isn’t quite impossible. One odd species got as far as Illinois.

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story in the Detroit Free Press. You may have seen the touristy T-shirts that declare it: “The Great Lakes: Unsalted and Shark-Free.” That’s absolutely true. There is no verifiable account of sharks ever reaching the Great Lakes, and multiple hoaxes have been exposed and urban legends debunked over the years. A Great … Continue reading A shark in the Great Lakes isn’t quite impossible.

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