Tue.Dec 17, 2024

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Evicted to Save a Gorilla, Indigenous Batwa Posed No Threat, Study Finds

Yale E360

For decades, Congolese officials have barred the Batwa from their ancestral lands in the name of preserving the critically endangered eastern lowland gorilla. But a new study suggests the Batwa were never a threat to the creatures.

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If Planet Nine Exists, We’ll Find It Soon

Scientific American

If there’s a hidden world in the solar system, a new telescope should find it

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No Matter Who’s in Office, the Choice for Cleaner Trucks Is Obvious

Union of Concerned Scientists

In the wake of the recent election, we have already seen predictions about how the change in administration will affect various economic sectors, including the trucking industry. But whatever the various forecasts may say about the trucking sectors future, there will remain two clear facts: 1) heavy-duty trucks and buses today adversely impact the health and well-being of communities around the country; and 2) the most surefire way to simultaneously reduce global warming emissions and the health

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Great Apes Joke Around, Suggesting Humor Is Older Than Humans

Scientific American

Studies of great apes hint at why and when clowning behavior evolved

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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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Earth had a temporary mini-moon that was a chunk of the real moon

New Scientist

An asteroid orbiting near our planet that temporarily became our second moon seems to have come from the actual moon, hinting that a hidden population of lunar rocks is drifting in space

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How the Vagus Nerve Could Influence Physical and Mental Health

Scientific American

The healing potential of the brain’s most interconnected nerve intrigues researchers

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Contributors to Scientific American’s January 2025 Issue

Scientific American

Writers, artists, photographers and researchers share the stories behind the stories

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Unified approach could improve nature, climate and health all at once

New Scientist

The biodiversity, climate, health, water and food crises need to be addressed together rather than regarded as separate issues, urges a major report

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Sustainable Pittsburgh: Report On Clean Energy Workforce - Needs And Opportunities For Southwestern PA

PA Environment Daily

On December 17, Sustainable Pittsburgh released Clean Energy Workforce: Needs and Opportunities for Southwestern PA , a comprehensive document that explores the opportunities and challenges in building a robust and equitable clean energy workforce in southwestern Pennsylvania. This report reflects insights gathered over three years of stakeholder engagement, including contributions from the Clean Energy Workforce Roundtable , a regional network facilitated by Sustainable Pittsburgh aimed at alig

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Baby Humpback Whales Burp and Bark to Beg Mom for Milk

Scientific American

The burps, barks and snorts humpback whales make when asking their mother for milk are the first recorded instances of begginglike behavior in a baleen whale

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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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UK plans to favour AI firms over creators with a new copyright regime

New Scientist

One of the biggest uncertainties in the ongoing AI revolution is whether these systems can legally be trained on copyrighted data.

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The Next Viral Pandemic Is Coming. Here’s How We Can Stop It

Scientific American

A new combo of climate and habitat crises, along with immune system stress, is driving more bat-borne viruses to afflict us

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US Fish And Wildlife & Service Seeks Public Comment On Proposed Listing Of Eastern Hellbender As Endangered

PA Environment Daily

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list the eastern hellbender as an endangered species throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act. Eastern hellbenders are found in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

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The most encouraging climate solutions and green technologies of 2024

New Scientist

Renewable energy continued to grow in 2024, and there were other hopeful developments in technologies aiming to reverse the rise in greenhouse gas emissions

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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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Why Do Some People Need Just Four to Six Hours of Sleep?

Scientific American

Short sleepers cruise by on four to six hours a night and don’t seem to suffer ill effects.

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'Artificial tongue' can detect chemical makeup of alcoholic drinks

New Scientist

Biological nanopore technology revolutionised DNA sequencing now it has been adapted for analysing alcoholic drinks, providing a quick test for quality and safety

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How Earth’s Biggest Mass Extinctions Stack Up

Scientific American

Earth’s deadliest mass extinctions have important commonalities—and significant differences

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Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, PA Turnpike Commission Celebrate Success In Reducing Cigarette Litter At 17 Service Plazas

PA Environment Daily

On December 17, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced the successful implementation of the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program at 17 service plazas across the state with a $20,000 grant from Keep America Beautiful. The program began with a scan, or physical count, of cigarette butts and other tobacco related products littering each service plaza.

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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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Silicon Valley Is Reviving the Discredited and Discriminatory Idea of ‘Race Science’

Scientific American

Scientific racism today must be seen and rejected for what it truly is—a hollow attempt to dress discrimination in the garb of science and reason

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Federal Ohio River Protection Act Legislation Would Address Pressing Water Quality, Conservation Needs In Ohio River Watershed

PA Environment Daily

On December 17, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D-Kentucky) and Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-Indiana), co-chairs of the Ohio River Basin Caucus, introduced the Ohio River Restoration Program Act , the first comprehensive piece of legislation to address the pressing environmental and conservation needs within the 204,000 square miles of the Ohio River Basin.

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Wildest Things Science Learned about the Human Body in 2024

Scientific American

From periods of rapid aging in our 40s and 60s to ancient brains that don’t decompose, here are some of the year’s most intriguing stories about human biology

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Coalition For Community Solar Access Applauds New Effort To Open Community Solar Market In Pennsylvania

PA Environment Daily

The Coalition for Community Solar announced Peter Schweyer (D-Lehigh) circulated a co sponsorship memo to his House colleagues seeking support for a community solar program for the state. Last session, we in the Peoples House did something truly special. We worked on and passed, in a bi-partisan fashion, a bill that had been in the mix for over a decade.

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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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Book Review: The Surprising Comeback of Our Least Appreciated Sense

Scientific American

The nose knows more than we thought

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PA Solar Center Accepting Applications For G.E.T. Solar Schools Technical Assistance Program To Help Apply For Solar For Schools, Other Funding

PA Environment Daily

The Pennsylvania Solar Center is still accepting applications for the G.E.T. Solar Schools Technical Assistance Program. For Pennsylvania schools who havent flipped the switch just yet, the passage of the states $25 million Solar for Schools grants , as well as the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), should make the math of going solar even more attractive.

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The Human Brain Operates at a Stunningly Slow Pace

Scientific American

The brain is sometimes called the most complex machine in the known universe.

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DEP Shared Energy Manager Program Accepting Applications For Energy Assessment, Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation Work With Local Governments, School Districts

PA Environment Daily

The Department of Environmental Protection is still accepting applications for the Shared Energy Manager Program to help local governments, authorities and school districts reduce energy costs, consider renewable energy alternatives and implement local climate action plans. Wilson Engineering provided an overview of the Program and the results of the first two years for DEPs Climate Change Advisory Committee on December 17.

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Book Review: This Relationship Shaped Rachel Carson’s Environmental Ethos

Scientific American

The connection between queer love and the power to imagine a more sustainable future

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The best and weirdest photos of robots from 2024

New Scientist

A long-envisioned futuristic world of humanoid robots doing all the work has yet to arrive, but these startling images reveal some of the surprising ways that advanced robotics is becoming more ubiquitous in people's lives

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Book Review: In a Drowning New York City, Can All of Natural History Be Saved?

Scientific American

In the often-gloomy genre of climate fiction, a new novel hits a high-water mark for its empathy

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DEP Awards $19.6 Million To Support 8 Local Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Projects In 6 Counties

PA Environment Daily

On December 17, the Department of Environmental Protection announced the award of $19,640,380 to support eight local abandoned mine lands reclamation and water restoration projects in six counties as part of the federally-funded Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage Grant Program. The counties include Clearfield, Greene, Indiana, Lackawanna, Schuylkill and Tioga.

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Engineering Lucid Dreams Could Improve Sleep and Defuse Nightmares

Scientific American

Scientists are learning to manipulate lucid dreams in ways that could ease nightmares, enhance sleep and improve overall health

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District Court Dismisses Suit Seeking TSCA Section 6 Rule Prohibiting Production of PFOA during Fluorination of Plastic Containers

Nanotech

On December 11, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a suit filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking a rule under Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to prohibit the production of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) during Inhance Technologies, LLCs (Inhance) fluorination process.