Mon.Jun 03, 2024

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Why a Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush — Especially When the Issue is Climate Change

Legal Planet

It’s an ancient dispute: Should we compromise on half-measures, or hold out until we can get something a lot better? Idealists argue for holding out. Pragmatist argue that half a loaf is better than none. Rather than rehearse familiar arguments, I want to focus specifically on climate change. In my view, holding out for ideal climate policies makes no sense.

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What You Need to Know about Advanced Clean Fleets: Funding, Flexibility, and FAQs

Union of Concerned Scientists

It’s been just over a year since the California Air Resources Board unanimously adopted the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Rule , which requires the largest commercial and public fleets operating in the state to gradually transition to zero-emission trucks and buses over the next two decades. By accelerating the adoption of zero-emission trucks and buses by around 80 percent , the ACF will usher in massive reductions in pollution, as well as billions of dollars in savings to fleets – estimated at $

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How materials that rewind light can test physics' most extreme ideas

New Scientist

Strange solids called temporal metamaterials finally make it possible to investigate the controversial idea of quantum friction – and push special relativity to its limits

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New Yorkers Deserve to Know That Gas Stoves Emit Dangerous Pollutants

NRDC

The New York Healthy Homes Right to Know Act would require signage and labels that detail the health risks of using a gas stove.

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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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Ancient geese stood 3 metres tall and weighed as much as a cow

New Scientist

A rare fossil skull provides strong evidence that the Dromornithidae, an extinct group of Australian flightless birds, were related to geese and ducks

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Fauci Faces Congressional Committee over COVID E-mails

Scientific American

Anthony Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases early in the COVID pandemic, is facing a congressional committee about questionable e-mails from agency officials

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More Trending

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How Tobacco Companies Use Chemistry To Get Around Menthol Bans

Scientific American

Regulating chemicals one-by-one has allowed the tobacco industry to skirt menthol bans by creating new additives with similar effects but unclear safety profiles

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Snares are wiping out South-East Asian wildlife – what can be done?

New Scientist

Efforts to remove animal traps and discourage poaching in Vietnamese protected areas have been partly effective, but conservationists say other approaches are needed to safeguard threatened species

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The GIANT Company, Keep PA Beautiful Now Accepting Applications For Healing The Planet Tree Planting Grants

PA Environment Daily

On June 3, The GIANT Company , in partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful , announced the return of its Healing the Planet Grant Program. The deadline for applications is July 1. This year, $100,000 will be awarded to tax-exempt organizations for tree plantings across The GIANT Company’s operating areas in Pennsylvania. Eligible projects must be shovel ready and include tree planting and direct costs relating to tree planting.

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Ancient snake drawings are among the largest known rock art worldwide

New Scientist

Rock art along the Orinoco river in South America is made up of some of the largest etchings we know of and could date back 2000 years

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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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Independent Fiscal Office Reports Drop In PA Shale Gas Production From 4th Quarter

PA Environment Daily

On June 3, the Independent Fiscal Office reported shale gas production in Pennsylvania dropped from 1,939 billion cubic feet in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 1,881 billion cubic feet in the first quarter of 2024. Major shale gas producers like Chesapeake Energy, EQT and others announced plans to intentionally reduce production in hopes of increasing the price of gas.

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Endangered giant pangolin spotted in Senegal after nearly 24 years

New Scientist

A rare sighting of a giant pangolin revives hopes for the species' survival in West Africa, despite threats from poaching and deforestation

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Ancient Snake and Centipede Carvings in South America Are among World’s Largest Rock Engravings

Scientific American

Enormous engraved rock art of anacondas, rodents and other animals along the Orinoco River in Colombia and Venezuela may have been used to mark territory 2,000 years ago

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China's Chang'e 6 spacecraft begins sampling on far side of the moon

New Scientist

The Chang’e 6 moon lander touched down on 2 June and began collecting lunar rock for China’s second sample-return mission

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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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June 3 Weekly PA Environment Digest Now Available

PA Environment Daily

“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 Jun

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Morning exercise may be optimal for improving bone health

New Scientist

Mice that exercised soon after waking up had stronger and longer bones than those that exercised later in the day &

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Auroras Are on the Horizon, and Bird Flu Is on the Menu

Scientific American

Vaccine misinformation on social media, smartphone addiction in teens and more are discussed in this week’s news roundup.

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Centre for Environment and Sustainability: Our Goals and Vision

The Applied Ecologist

In this new series, The Applied Ecologist is amplifying the staff and student voices from the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability to showcase their diverse, interdisciplinary body of work and to help inspire the next generation. In this introductory post, we share below the Centre’s goals and ambitions.

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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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Firepoint Energy Eyeing PA Coal Waste As Source Of Rare Earth Elements And Jet Fuel

PA Environment Daily

The following article appeared in the latest Anthracite Report by the Pennsylvania Anthracite Council-- Wyoming startup company Firepoint Energy is looking to Pennsylvania waste coal piles as a source to recover Rare Earth Elements (REE). Firepoint, A Wyoming C-Corp, has opened principal offices in Erie, Pennsylvania and Texas. Firepoint Energy president Bill Smith recently spent time in the Pennsylvania Capital of Harrisburg meeting with state representatives about his company and their proposa

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500-Pound Prehistoric Bird Was a ‘Giga-Goose,’ Fossils Reveal

Scientific American

Scientists reveal the face of Australia’s massive, extinct “giga-goose”

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NACD Awarded $585,824 For Northeast Mid-Atlantic Forests & Water Partnership Project To Advance Regional Conservation Efforts In PA, Other States

PA Environment Daily

On June 3, the National Association of Conservation Districts announced its Northeast Mid-Atlantic Forests and Water Partnership Project has been awarded a $585,824 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Landscape Scale Restoration program. This grant will enable the Partnership to continue to advance its mission to create a collaborative network that leverages resources to manage, restore, and conserve forests and protect water resources.

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RFK Jr.’s Vice-Presidential Pick Drawn in by Debunked Autism Conspiracy Theory

Scientific American

Conspiracy thinking about autism drives anti-vaxxer presidential candidate RFK Jr.

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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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DCNR To Hold Virtual Town Hall Event June 12 On Draft Plan For The Future of Pennsylvania Forests - Forests for All

PA Environment Daily

On June 3, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources State Forester Seth Cassell announced the Bureau of Forestry will hold a virtual town hall meeting June 12 to share perspectives and receive feedback on its draft plan: Forests for All: A Plan for Pennsylvania’s Forests and People. “DCNR is committed to its mission of stewarding the Commonwealth’s natural resources for future generations and we want to engage the public before finalizing this plan to maintain the Commonwealth’s forests

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Building Better Buyouts Through Lived and Learned Experience

NRDC

Home buyouts that reduce risk and benefit communities must draw from both the lived experience of residents and the learned experience of professionals.

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World’s Largest Known Genome Discovered in Small, Unassuming Fern

Scientific American

A small South Pacific fern boasts more than 50 times as many base pairs as the human genome

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Thin, bacteria-coated fibers could lead to self-healing concrete that fills in its own cracks

Environmental News Bits

by Mohammad Houshmand, Drexel University and Yaghoob Farnam, Drexel University Some say there are two types of concrete – cracked and on the brink of cracking. But what if when concrete cracked, it could heal itself?

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China’s Chang’e 6 Probe Lands on Far Side of the Moon

Scientific American

The Chang’e 6 mission is China’s second to touch down on the lunar far side and will retrieve samples for analysis on Earth

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Development of calcium-modified biochar for enhanced phytoremediation of human-induced salt pollutants (HISPs)

Environmental News Bits

Shen, J., Huang, G., Yao, Y., Li, M., Zhang, P., Zhao, K., & Rosendahl, S. (2024). “Development of calcium-modified biochar for enhanced phytoremediation of human-induced salt pollutants (HISPs).” Chemosphere, 355, 141860. [link] Abstract Soil salinization is a major environmental hazard that limits land availability.

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How Long Do Solar Lights Last: Lifespan & Factors Affecting Durability

Earthava

The post How Long Do Solar Lights Last: Lifespan & Factors Affecting Durability appeared first on Earthava. Solar lights are a sustainable and cost-effective illumination option that harnesses the power of the sun. With no need for electrical wiring, they are easy to install and maintain. The longevity of these lights varies based on several factors including the quality of their components such as LED bulbs, batteries, and solar panels.

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What 54 climate adaptation plans say about how communities are preparing

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story at Smart Cities Dive. U.S. communities are striving to keep pace with climate change impacts, and a new analysis of public agencies’ climate resilience and adaptation plans shows just how varied those efforts are.

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Lessons from EVS37: An International Conference on Electric Transportation

NRDC

International conferences about innovation in transportation, like EVS37, are an opportunity to bring important lessons home.

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Why Bird Flu Is Causing Eye Infections in Dairy Workers

Scientific American

Three U.S.

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