Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

This blog was co-authored with UCS China Analyst Robert Rust. Open-source estimates of China’s past fissile material production indicate that China does not have enough plutonium to make the more than 1,000 nuclear warheads the Pentagon claims China will deploy by 2035. The extra plutonium needed to produce new weapons, the Pentagon says, will come from China’s new fast breeder reactors , a type of nuclear reactor that produces more plutonium than the uranium and plutonium it consumes for fuel.

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Yale E360

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

The world is set to install a third more solar capacity this year than it did in 2023, surpassing forecasts by both industry experts and independent analysts.

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Cleannovate

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Potato chips colour our parties. They are the go-to meal when we just want that fast filling, sumptuous and easy to fix snack. A few of us like to cook potatoes with the skin. But for those of us who peel them, where do we dispose of these wastes? Well, there are a few places where peels could find use. Composting them helps return their nutrients back to the soil… Incorporating them into animal feeds helps enrich livestock diets.

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New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Genetic testing on samples collected during the earliest days of the covid-19 outbreak suggests it is likely that the virus spread from animals to humans at the Huanan seafood market

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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

2024

Enviromental Defense

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Report finds that Highway 413 would contaminate streams and rivers within the Humber River, Etobicoke Creek, and the Credit River watersheds and destroy large areas of forest, meadow, river and wetland habitat. Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – A new report released today, Concrete Consequences: How Highway 413 would put GTA watersheds at risk , highlights alarming findings about the proposed Highway 413, s

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New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Making hydrogen from seawater can be tricky because the salt is corrosive and the process can create toxic chlorine gas – new electrodes can split ocean water to make the clean fuel more easily

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New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Genetic analysis shows that microbes growing inside the International Space Station have adaptations for radiation and low gravity, and may pose a threat to astronauts

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The Applied Ecologist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

This blog post is also available in German here. Dominik Poniatowski and colleagues describe how they evaluated the environmental drivers of species richness and biomass of grasshoppers in grasslands, comparing this between nature reserves and intensively-used agriculture landscape. Grassland exhibiting low land-use intensity is considered a hotspot of biodiversity in Central Europe.

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New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

The average surface temperature varied more widely and was even hotter than previously thought during much of the past 500 million years, according to the most rigorous study so far

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Enviromental Defense

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Statement by Aly Hyder Ali, Oil and Gas Program Manager, Environmental Defence Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – New analysis confirms that a cap on emissions from the oil and gas industry is crucial to achieve Canada’s climate commitments. Today’s report from the Canadian Climate Institute provides an early estimate of Canada’s national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023.

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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.

Clean Energy

New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Nearly imperceptible quantum flickers used to limit how precisely we could detect the way space-time ripples, but squeezing the laser light used in detectors overcomes this and doubles the number of gravitational waves we can see

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Scientific American

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Some researchers dream of solving all mysteries with a common method—but a mathematical paradox may keep such solutions out of reach

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New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

A meta-analysis of 137 clinical trials finds triptan drugs are among the most effective for treating migraines, while newer ditan and gepant drugs were rated less highly

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Inside Climate News

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

A new science briefing from an international research team can’t rule out some of the worst-case sea level rise scenarios, including six feet by 2100. By Bob Berwyn ​​After six years of probing, poking and sampling a Florida-sized chunk of ice in West Antarctica with submarines, satellites and drills, scientists with the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration said Thursday that a worst-case meltdown scenario still can’t be ruled out, since emissions of climate-heating greenhouse gases cont

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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.

2022

New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

African giant pouched rats proved adept at detecting four commonly trafficked products derived from endangered species including rhino horn and elephant ivory

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Scientific American

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Three scientists are honored for developing a class of blockbuster weight-loss drugs. Is a Nobel prize on the way?

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PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

On September 12, the PA Association of Environmental Professionals recognized Kristina Thompson and PennDOT District 5-0 with the 2024 Walter Lyon Award and former DEP Secretary David Hess with the Karl Mason Award. PAEP presents these awards to Pennsylvanians who made unique and creative contributions to the field of environmental management in Pennsylvania with preference given to the fields of administration, law, regulation and community organization.

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New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Exoplanets in binary star systems usually orbit both stars, but astronomers have now spotted three planets orbiting one or the other star in a pair

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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.

Sustainable Development

National Law Center

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

The Wetland Conservation provisions of the Food Security Act of 1985, known colloquially as “Swampbuster,” introduced a new program to promote. The post When Wetlands Go Dry: Prior Converted Cropland under Swampbuster and the CWA appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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Scientific American

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

In the U.S. in the early 1960s the distributor of a thalidomide drug was impatient to get it on the market.

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New Scientist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

We are finally untangling the ancient history of the cactus family, revealing some surprising forces that shaped these plants – ­­­­­­and prompting concern for their future

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Scientific American

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

A long-awaited calculation of the W boson’s mass agrees with theory, contradicting a previous anomaly that had raised the possibility of new physics beyond the Standard Model

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Law Columbia

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Two years into the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the several tax credits that are eligible for “ elective pay ” are starting to catalyze investment in renewable energy , electric vehicles, and EV charging by nontaxable entities like local governments and nonprofit organizations. Slower to develop is a robust, cohesive response by nontaxable entities to the main tax tool for energy retrofits of their buildings – offices, schools, hospitals, and even multifamily housing – the Section 179D tax ded

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Nanotech

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on September 18, 2024, the launch of an Outdoor Use Safer Choice label. According to EPA, this new label expands on its existing Safer Choice label and will identify outdoor use products — such as pet care products, fire defense products, and car, boat, or grill cleaners — that meet additional EPA criteria to help protect the environment.

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PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

On September 19, Utility Dive reported the North American Electric Reliability Corp issued a statement that it "remains concerned about maintaining sufficient natural gas supplies to address extreme winter conditions." December could be colder than normal across the northern U.S., and grid operators and the natural gas sector say they are preparing, said Utility Dive.

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NRDC

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Market forces and government incentives are creating a growing number of renewable energy jobs.

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PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

On September 19, the Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Institute for Public Policy published a policy brief on the steep decline in revenues from the Act 13 shale gas impact fees going to counties and municipalities. “Revenues from Pennsylvania’s impact fee imposed on unconventional (i.e. fracked) gas wells set a new record in 2022, with collections of $278.9 million.

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Nanotech

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

On June 26, 2024, B&C, along with the Environmental Law Institute and the George Washington University Milken Institute of Public Health, sponsored the all-day virtual conference, TSCA Reform — Eight Years Later. The quality of the discussion, the caliber of the participants, and the timeliness of the content motivated us to repurpose the substantive sessions.

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Cool Green Science

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Spoiler alert: it's not a shrew. It's a relict marsupial, and has lived in the forests of Chile's Valdivian Coast for millennia. The post Meet the Mysterious Long-Nosed Chilean Shrew Opossum appeared first on Cool Green Science.

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Nanotech

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Corporate entities are feeling the heat per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are generating. PFAS manufacturers are being sued in record numbers in the US based on novel legal theories involving personal injury tort claims, product liability, environmental damage and fraud among other things. Heightened legal activity in other jurisdictions, including the UK and the European Union (EU), is expected.

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Environmental News Bits

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Read the full story at Agriculture Dive. The Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $15 million in research grants last week to study and reduce the impact of “forever chemicals” on U.S. farmland and food supply. Ten institutions received funding to collect data on how per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, contaminate crops and livestock.

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The Applied Ecologist

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Dieser Beitrag ist hier auch auf Englisch verfügbar. Dominik Poniatowski und Kollegen beschreiben, wie sie die Umweltfaktoren des Artenreichtums und der Biomasse von Heuschrecken im Grünland bewertet und dabei zwischen Naturschutzgebieten und intensiv genutzter Agrarlandschaft verglichen haben. Das extensiv genutzte Grünland gilt als Hotspot der Biodiversität in Mitteleuropa.

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Environmental News Bits

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Read the full story from Trellis. After fits and starts over the past nine years, the Lego Group plans to break free of virgin petroleum-based plastic by 2032. “Renewable and recycled” materials will make up the more than 100 billion bricks it sells each year, according to the company.

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