Thu.Jul 11, 2024

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Improved EV Credits Makes the Switch Even Easier for US Drivers

Union of Concerned Scientists

To avoid the worst impacts of climate change we need to switch from gasoline and diesel to electric vehicles powered by clean electricity as soon as possible. While driving an electric vehicle (EV) can save drivers on fuel and maintenance, the upfront cost of electric cars and trucks can be a barrier to choosing an EV. The federal tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are important tools to accelerate the transition and make EVs accessible to more car buyers by reducing the initial co

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Understanding Loper: The Grandfather Clause

Legal Planet

To cushion the shock of abandoning Chevron , the Supreme Court created a safe harbor for past judicial decisions. This was well-advised. The Court itself applied Chevron at least seventy time, as did thousands of lower court decisions. The key question will be the scope of the grandfather clause. The Court’s discussion began by saying that “we do not call into question prior cases that relied on the Chevron framework.

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In the South, Sea Level Rise Accelerates at Some of the Most Extreme Rates on Earth

Inside Climate News

The surge is startling scientists, amplifying impacts such as hurricane storm surges and nuisance flooding and testing mitigation measures like the Resilient Florida program. By Amy Green JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—For most of his life, Steve Salem has led an existence closely linked with the rise and fall of the tides.

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Astronauts could drink their own urine with water-recycling spacesuit

New Scientist

When astronauts go on a spacewalk, their urine is collected by what is essentially a large diaper before being thrown away, and they have less than a litre of drinking water available - but a new kind of spacesuit could solve both issues

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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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Mixed forests and delicious seeds: How tree species change the relationship between rodents and seeds

The Applied Ecologist

In this blog post, Pedro Mittelman and Bernado Araújo discuss how forest composition can affect plant–animal interactions without necessarily altering animal communities or population densities. Forest mortality We are walking through a dead forest. It is not yet winter, but as we move amid still standing Norway spruce (Picea abies) trunks along the Harz mountains, we find no leaves attached to them.

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People with Alzheimer's disease benefit from spending time with horses

New Scientist

Horse therapy helps people with Alzheimer's disease socialise and improves their mood to a greater extent than music therapy, which is more established for supporting people with dementia

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Woolly mammoth DNA exceptionally preserved in freeze-dried 'jerky'

New Scientist

A complete genome has been extracted from a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth, which might bring us closer to resurrecting the species

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State Health Plan Identified Oil & Gas Development As Health Risk Last Year; Environmental Health Indicators Map Is Now Available To Show Potential Risks Near You

PA Environment Daily

In April of 2023, the state Department of Health issued an updated Pennsylvania State Health Improvement Plan that identified Environmental Health, and specifically oil and gas development, as a rising risk to public health. Read more here. In August of 2023, the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, with funding from the Department of Health, released the results of health studies in Southwestern Pennsylvania that found gas development activities make asthma worse and children have

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Melting sea ice is hindering, not helping, Canadian Arctic shipping

New Scientist

Thick sea ice is flowing into the Northwest Passage, complicating predictions that melting ice due to climate change will open a shorter route between oceans

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The NALC Quarterly Newsletter: 2Q24

National Law Center

The National Agricultural Law Center compiles and publishes a quarterly newsletter highlighting recent and upcoming events and resources. The newsletter. The post The NALC Quarterly Newsletter: 2Q24 appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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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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Laser helps turn an electron into a coil of mass and charge

New Scientist

Researchers have reshaped single electrons into spiralling matter waves with distinct handedness that could be used to study and control materials

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Sen. Culver: US EPA Installs Air Quality Monitors Around Wilburton Coal Bank Fire In Columbia County

PA Environment Daily

On July 11, Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-Columbia) announced the US Environmental Protection Agency visited Wilburton Tuesday to install air quality control monitors to measure any concentration of contaminants in the air during the ongoing efforts to extinguish the nearby coal bank fire. EPA has been working with Sen. Culver and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ensure safety concerns are being addressed.

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You can turn any random sequence of events into a clock

New Scientist

A set of mathematical equations can help turn apparently random observations into a clock – and then measure its accuracy

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Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Sustainable Community Development Network Hosts Aug. 6 Climate Action Planning - Resources And Funding Opportunities Webinar; Guide To Tools & Funding

PA Environment Daily

Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network will host an August 6 webinar on Climate Action Planning - Resources And Funding Opportunities from Noon to 1:15 p.m. Join Sustainable Pittsburgh and guest speakers to learn about actionable resources that can help local governments and other organizations take action on climate resilience and adaptation.

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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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Groundwater Standards for PFAS — Public Health and Regulatory Relief

Smith Enviorment

July 11, 2024. Yesterday, the Environmental Management Commission’s Groundwater and Waste Management Committee voted to recommend against moving forward with groundwater standards for five of eight per and poly-fluorinated substances (PFAS) included in a Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rulemaking proposal. It may be an unprecedented decision to reject health-based standards that would also provide regulatory relief to business and protect property values.

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Penn State Extension Hosts 5-Part Woodland Stewardship Webinar Series - Guided Engagement With Your Land Starting Sept. 25

PA Environment Daily

The Penn State Extension will host a five-part Woodland Stewardship webinar series Guided Engagement With Your Land on September 25, October 9 and 23 and November 6 and 20 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. each day. In Pennsylvania, private forest landowners own 11.5 million acres (almost 70% of the forests). Yet private lands are not necessarily well managed.

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SpaceX Dropped Space Junk on My Neighbor’s Farm. Here’s What Happened Next

Scientific American

A Saskatchewan farmer’s near miss with potentially lethal debris falling from orbit highlights the skyrocketing risks and murky politics of space junk

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Menstrual pads that turn blood solid could reduce the risk of leaks

New Scientist

Adding a polymer-alcohol mixture to menstrual pads causes blood to solidify, rather than being absorbed, which could ward off leaks

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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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The First Ever Fossilized Chromosomes Came from a Freeze-Dried Mammoth

Scientific American

For the first time, researchers have reconstructed the 3D structure of ancient genetic material, in this case from a 52,000-year-old mammoth

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House, Senate Send Bill Authorizing Geologic Sequestration Of Carbon Dioxide To The Governor

PA Environment Daily

On July 11, the House-- by a vote of 127 to 75 -- and the Senate-- by a vote of 37 to 12 -- passed and sent to the Governor Senate Bill 831 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) establishing a framework for authorizing the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide through injection wells. The House amended the bill to public land protections, environmental justice (enabling rejection of projects with undue impact on overburdened communities), community engagement, landowner rights (raising consent threshold from 60%

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The Supreme Court Threw Us—and the Chevron Deference—Overboard with Its Fish Ruling

Scientific American

A case about Atlantic herring has resulted in SCOTUS ending a 40-year policy to defer to expert agencies when considering regulations.

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Data Centers Gobbling Up Existing Nukes Threatens Grid Decarb Goals

NRDC

Diverting existing clean power will increase pollution

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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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Supreme Court of the United States Rules SEC Administrative Proceedings Unconstitutional

National Law Center

On June 27, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) released its opinion in Securities and Exchange Commission v. The post Supreme Court of the United States Rules SEC Administrative Proceedings Unconstitutional appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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EPA Invests $20 Million In Water Workforce Training, Career Development; Including $4.9 Million Grant To The Energy Innovation Center Institute In Pittsburgh

PA Environment Daily

On July 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it is providing over $20 million to 13 workforce development organizations across the nation under its Innovative Water Workforce Development Grant Program , which supports expanding career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector. This announcement comes as White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su travel to Philadelphia to host the inaugural convening of the cit

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Heat Wave Hits Texas amid Power Outages from Beryl

Scientific American

Days after Hurricane Beryl hit Houston and left millions without power, the city was hit with a dangerous heat wave

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The Derrick: PUC To Hold Second Hearing July 15 On Venango Water Company [Impacts Continue From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Contamination Of Water Supply]

PA Environment Daily

On July 11, 2024, The Derrick published an update on events surrounding the contamination of a spring serving as a source of water for the Venango Water Company and the Village of Reno by a conventional oil well wastewater spill on July 19, 2023-- Public Utility Commission Administrative Law Judge Mark A. Hoyer announced there will be a second prehearing on July 15 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the proceedings surrounding the future of the Venango Water Company and six other water companies owned by

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Molecular Biologist Nancy Hopkins Took on M.I.T. for Discrimination against Female Scientists

Scientific American

Nancy Hopkins used a commitment to justice and a tape measure to take M.I.T. to task for discrimination. The impacts of her fight are still being felt today.

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Stroud Water Research Center To Honor Award-Winning Author, Fisherman Paul Greenberg With Award For Freshwater Excellence At Sept. 19 Gala

PA Environment Daily

The Stroud Water Research Center will honor award-winning author and fisherman Paul Greenberg with the 2024 Stroud Award for Freshwater Excellence at the Water's Edge Gala on September 19 at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library. Greenberg has written six books, including The New York Times Bestseller and Notable Book, Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food.

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Superhuman AI Bots Are Surprisingly Vulnerable to Exploits

Scientific American

By learning exploits from adversarial AI, people could defeat a superhuman Go-playing system

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The Feed: Volume 2, Issue 13

National Law Center

The Feed newsletter highlights recent legal developments affecting agriculture, with issues released twice a month. Click below to sign up for. The post The Feed: Volume 2, Issue 13 appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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Unlocking biosolid pyrolysis: Towards tailored biochar with different surface properties

Environmental News Bits

Kim, D., Hadigheh, S. A., & Wei, Y. (2024). Unlocking biosolid pyrolysis: Towards tailored biochar with different surface properties. Materials Today Sustainability, 27, 100868.

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Microsoft and Occidental’s Collaboration: Celebrating a Landmark Agreement in Carbon Capture 

Cresforum

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum is celebrating the recent announcement from Microsoft and Occidental Petroleum highlighting the largest direct air capture (DAC) agreement to date! Microsoft has agreed to purchase 500,000 metric tons of carbon credits from Occidental’s Stratos plant in Texas. By investing in DAC, Microsoft aims to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and advance toward its ambitious goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030.

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