Thu.Feb 13, 2025

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Ask a Scientist: What Value Do Wetlands Provide?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Wetlands exist in almost every corner of the United States, representing a total area larger than the state of California. While some have federal or state protection, many do not. And despite the proximity of wetlands to many communities in this country, few people truly understand either the value wetlands hold for our way of life or the threat they face from our industrialized system of agriculture.

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With Sea Ice Melting, Killer Whales Move Into the High Arctic

Yale E360

Killer whales have begun to migrate farther into previously icy regions of the Arctic, preying on narwhal, beluga, and bowhead. Scientists say their increasing numbers could shift food webs in ways that affect both endangered whale populations and subsistence Inuit hunters.

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DCNR: The Votes Are In - Delaware River Named Pennsylvania's 2025 River Of The Year

PA Environment Daily

On February 13, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced the Delaware River has been named Pennsylvanias 2025 River of the Year after securing the most votes in a public competition "The Delaware River is a conservation success story, and this designation is a testament to its historical, cultural, and recreational significance," said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn.

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Welcoming our 2025 Associate Editor Mentees!

The Applied Ecologist

Journal of Applied Ecology offers a two-year mentoring opportunity for early career researchers to gain experience of the Associate Editor role. Each mentee works with one of our Senior Editor and also receives on-going support from the Editorial Office. Mentees have a great opportunity to learn more about the peer review process and publishing more widely through handling submissions to the journal.

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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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PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals Host March 18 Webinar On Emerging PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Treatment Technologies

PA Environment Daily

The PA Association of Environmental Professionals will host a March 18 webinar providing an overview of emerging PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' treatment technologies starting at Noon. The discussion will include an overview of concentration technologies, such as GAC, resins, and foam fractionation coupled with emerging destruction technologies such as super critical water oxidation (SCWO), electrochemical oxidation, plasma, and others.

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Most Europeans may have had dark skin until less than 3000 years ago

New Scientist

Ancient DNA from 348 individuals suggests that pale skin became the predominant characteristic of people living in Europe much later than assumed

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More Trending

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Carbon-neutral hydrogen can be produced from farm waste

New Scientist

Bioethanol made from fermented agricultural waste can be turned into zero-carbon hydrogen through a new process that uses much less energy than other sources

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Measles Outbreak in Children Grows in One of Texas’ Least Vaccinated Counties

Scientific American

With hospitalizations and at least nine confirmed cases, health officials race to contain a growing outbreak in a community with low vaccination

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Using AI tools like ChatGPT can reduce critical thinking skills

New Scientist

A survey of workers who used generative AI to complete tasks found that they used critical thinking less when they trusted the AI to do the task accurately

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Occurrence of microplastics in terrestrial habitats: Hazards and pollution abatement

Environmental News Bits

ONI, B. A., AGU, K. C., & SANNI, S. E. (2025). Occurrence of microplastics in terrestrial habitats: Hazards and pollution abatement. Pedosphere. [link] Abstract Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous and pose an environmental risk. This review examined MP pollution in terrestrial ecosystems from a myriad of poorly understood sources.

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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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Quantum batteries charge faster the larger they are

New Scientist

Batteries built on quantum principles could offer fast charging and discharging and the technology may just have moved a little closer to the real world

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Why the price of your favorite chocolate will continue to rise

Environmental News Bits

by Narcisa Pricope, Mississippi State University Valentines Day often conjures images of chocolates and romance. But the crop behind this indulgence faces an existential threat. Regions like northeastern Brazil, one of the worlds notable cocoa-producing areas, are grappling with increasing aridity a slow, yet unrelenting drying of the land.

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California’s groundwater drought continues despite torrential rain

New Scientist

Seismic measurement of Los Angeless depleted aquifers show a year of heavy precipitation hasnt been enough to refill them

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Nanochitin: Green nanomaterial for sustainable applications in agriculture and environmental remediation

Environmental News Bits

Manoj, N., Pradhan, M., Kundu, D., Abhiramy, D. S., Balakumaran, P. A., & Sherpa, K. C. (2025). Nanochitin: Green nanomaterial for sustainable applications in agriculture and environmental remediation. Science of The Total Environment, 965, 178607.

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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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Mouse brain slices brought back to life after being frozen for a week

New Scientist

In a step towards suspended animation of people, slices of mouse brains have shown near-normal activity after being stored at -150C for up to a week

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Pectin-based edible films and coatings: From extraction to application on food packaging towards circular economy- A review

Environmental News Bits

Syarifuddin, A., Muflih, M. H., Izzah, N., Fadillah, U., Ainani, A. F., & Dirpan, A. (2025). Pectin-based edible films and coatings: From extraction to application on food packaging towards circular economy- A review. Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, 9, 100680.

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Comment: NSAC Responds to Senate Confirmation of Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Tel. 347.563.6408 Comment: NSAC Responds to Senate Confirmation of Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins Washington, DC, February 13, 2025 Today, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) released the following statement attributable to Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director, in response to the Senate confirmation of Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture with a 7

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Pig-to-Human Organ Transplants Will Finally Begin Clinical Trials This Year

Scientific American

Up to 50 transplant patients will receive a genetically modified pig kidney in a clinical trial that will launch this summer

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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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Why we may crave dessert even when we are full from dinner

New Scientist

In mice, the neurons that dictate the feeling of being full are also the ones that cause sugar cravings, potentially explaining why people are still able to eat sweets after a filling meal

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Food Safety: Status of Foodborne Illness in the U.S.

Environmental News Bits

Download the report. Foodborne illness in the U.S. is a serious and continuing problem. A forthcoming study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 10 million cases of foodborne illnesses each year in the U.S.

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Oil firms' plans for net-zero oil extraction labelled as 'PR spiel'

New Scientist

A comprehensive analysis pours cold water on claims that using carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere to drive oil extraction can result in carbon-neutral fossil fuel

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Dry crude pomegranate peel extract as a bio-input for medicinal pharmaceutical gel with healing activity

Environmental News Bits

Melo, R. C., Mantovanelli, V., Ferreira, D., de Paula, G., Romagna, R., Monteiro, J., Santos, M. F. C., Severi, J., Resende, J., Boeloni, J., Kitagawa, R., Meira, E., & Villanova, J. (2025). Dry crude pomegranate peel extract as a bio-input for medicinal pharmaceutical gel with healing activity. Chemistry & Biodiversity, e202402710.

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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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Rewilding is often championed, but could it be bad for biodiversity?

New Scientist

Conservation projects in wealthy but nature-depleted countries can cause food and timber production to leak into poorer, biodiverse nations

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Look for ‘Slow Flower’ Bouquets, Plants Grown without Health-Harming Chemicals Used in Overseas Operations

Scientific American

New “slow flower” farms grow beautiful blooms—without health-harming chemicals used by overseas operations that dominate the U.S.

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Competition opens to find the world's most perplexing computer code

New Scientist

Software developers entering the International Obfuscated C Code Contest must write programs that look baffling, but perform unusual, unexpected or catastrophic tasks

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This Researcher Discovered the Cause of Down Syndrome, But For 50 Years Got None of the Credit

Scientific American

Marthe Gautier speaks out about how she found the genetic cause of Down syndrome

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Tiny dwarf galaxy might house a supermassive black hole

New Scientist

Fast-moving stars zooming through our galaxy might have been slingshotted from a black hole inside the neighbouring Large Magellanic Cloud

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Scientists React to RFK, Jr.’s Confirmation as HHS Secretary

Scientific American

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has expressed support for some fields of science but has also declared he’d like a “break” in infectious-disease research. Here’s what he might do as the U.S.

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Fish & Boat Commission Awards First Round Of Boating Facility Grants

PA Environment Daily

On February 13, the Fish and Boat Commission announced the award of the first round of grants awarded in 2025 through the Boating Facility Grant Program. Through this program, the PFBC provides grants for the planning, acquisition, development, expansion, and rehabilitation of public boating facilities located on the waters of the Commonwealth. The goal of the program is to ensure Pennsylvania's recreational boaters have convenient and high-quality boating facilities.

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‘Hot Potato’ Plants Engineered to Flourish in Heat Waves

Scientific American

A genetic tweak keeps potatoes efficient in the heat

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David Attenborough Befriends a Dinosaur

PBS Nature

Sir David Attenborough befriends a lifelike diplodocus as its towering skeleton replica comes to life. During this encounter, surprising truths are revealed about this extinct dinosaur.

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Auditor General DeFoor: DCNR Did Not Award All Community Conservation Partnership Grants On A Competitive Basis

PA Environment Daily

On February 13, Auditor General Timothy L. DeFoor released an audit of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that showed it did not award all Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grants competitively, instead using its own discretion when awarding some grants despite advertising it as a competitive process. We found instances where DCNR executive management made the decision to award grants to applicants who missed application deadlines, funded projects that were ran