November, 2024

article thumbnail

Operationalizing Climate Science

Real Climate

There is a need to make climate science more agile and more responsive, and that means moving (some of it) from research to operations. Readers here will know that the climate science community has had a hard time giving quantitative explanations for what’s happened in climate over the Nature 2023 ?”>last couple of years or even over the last couple of decades.

2003 312
article thumbnail

CPUC Should Set a Date for Closing Aliso Canyon

Legal Planet

The Aliso Canyon gas storage facility blowout in 2015-16 was the largest methane gas leak in the history of the United States. In addition to the climate effects from the methane leakage — 109,000 metric tons, the equivalent of burning over 1 billion gallons of gasoline — there were tremendous health impacts on neighboring communities and even throughout California.

2024 279
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

As Drought Shrivels Hydropower, Zambia Is Pivoting to Solar

Yale E360

An unprecedented drought has lowered reservoirs in hydropower-dependent Zambia, leading to economically crippling blackouts and spurring a push for solar. With multiple utility-scale arrays now in the works, the nation is betting on solar to increase its power capacity by a third.

293
293
article thumbnail

We Need to Change Our Assumptions About Gas Plant Reliability

Union of Concerned Scientists

Gas power plants have a problem. And it’s a problem that affects all of us. In extreme weather, when electricity demand is at its highest and the grid needs gas plants the most, gas plants have been failing at alarming rates. In the worst instance , widespread gas plant failures led to rolling blackouts that impacted millions of people for days on end.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Drilling Into the Differences Between Offshore Oil Drilling and Offshore Wind

Ocean Conservancy

It took Hurricane Helene just three days to travel from the overly warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the mountains of North Carolina, causing incredible damage and loss of life. Hurricane Milton also moved fast, intensifying from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane in a single day, before hitting Florida with incredible winds, tornados and flooding.

article thumbnail

What Ontario stands to lose in Premier Ford’s push for more cars everywhere

Enviromental Defense

What do the proposed Highway 413, the Bradford By-Pass, the 401 Mega-Tunnel, ripping up and banning bike lanes, extending the “temporary” gas tax rebate for the fourth time or canceling license plate renewal fees have in common? The answer of course is cars. Do more highways and less bike lanes actually reduce gridlock? The simple answer is no, more highways don’t make traffic better.

More Trending

article thumbnail

California Must Not Abandon its Climate Leadership

Legal Planet

On November 8, the California Air Resources Board, or CARB, is slated to consider approving amendments to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The program has been so successful in replacing high carbon petroleum-based fuels with lower emissions vehicle fuels that interest groups from all sides of the political spectrum have come forward to demand radical changes that they argue will fix problems.

article thumbnail

To Cope with Extreme Heat, Paris Will Swap Parking Spaces for Trees

Yale E360

Paris aims to replace 60,000 parking spaces across the city with trees by the end of this decade, according to its newly released climate plan.

287
287
article thumbnail

Chasing Glaciers: A Runner’s Quest Through a Changing Landscape

Union of Concerned Scientists

In 2022 I visited Glacier National Park for the first time with two close friends. We spent five days backpacking through the backcountry, and I was enthralled by the park’s vastness and beauty and the chance to see glaciers for the first time in my life. While I loved camping out in the wild, as a trail runner I couldn’t help but think of ways to travel lighter, cover more territory, and see even more of this breathtaking landscape.

article thumbnail

Our Fight for the Future at COP29

Ocean Conservancy

Fifty-two years. 26 Congresses. 10 U.S. presidents. That’s how long Ocean Conservancy has been advancing policies that secure a healthy ocean and a thriving planet. Through political shifts and economic tides, the organization has stayed the course. Protecting our blue planet isn’t just a matter of politics; it is our duty—to ourselves, to future generations and to the planet we call home.

Ocean 132
article thumbnail

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

article thumbnail

Ontario Government Weakens Greenbelt Protections and Takes Land Again with Bill 212

Enviromental Defense

Statement by Tim Gray, Executive Director By peddling falsehoods about bike lanes, the Ontario government seeks to distract Ontarians from provisions in Bill 212 that will fast-track an unnecessary and expensive highway while undermining the Greenbelt. Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Embedded within Bill 212 are provisions that will undermine the Greenbelt by removing key environmental oversight and safe

article thumbnail

How Humor Can Help You Get through Hard Times

Scientific American

When life feels difficult, humor can be a coping mechanism that relieves stress and offers the breathing room to keep going, scientists say

144
144
article thumbnail

NEPA in the Supreme Court (Part I)

Legal Planet

In what could turn out to be another loss for environmental protection in the Supreme Court, the Court is about to decide a major case about the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The case, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County , has important implications for issues such as whether NEPA covers climate change impacts.

article thumbnail

How Brazil Hopes to Make Amazon a Model for a Green Economy

Yale E360

As he prepares to host the G20 summit, Brazil’s president is championing initiatives to promote a “bioeconomy” in the Amazon that protects biodiversity and helps Indigenous residents. The goal: To get governments to commit to a new economic vision that is truly sustainable.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Climate-Fueled Extreme Weather Events Are Worsening. We Need Action at COP29

Union of Concerned Scientists

2024 will be a year to remember. As a result of fossil fuel-driven climate change, it’s on track to be the warmest year in recorded history. This heat fueled extreme weather events across the world, with most having significant impacts on human life and infrastructure and ecosystems. In the United States, communities are still recovering from Hurricanes Beryl, Helene, and Milton.

article thumbnail

Crafting a Future Free of Plastics

Ocean Conservancy

We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tackle one of the biggest threats facing our ocean: plastic pollution. Next week the United Nations will host the fifth and final scheduled round of negotiations (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, for an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) to end plastic pollution. Widely known as the “global plastics treaty,” this agreement aims to curb the global plastic pollution crisis, of which the ocean often bears the brunt.

Ocean 116
article thumbnail

Nectar-loving Ethiopian wolves may be the first carnivore pollinators

New Scientist

Endangered Ethiopian wolves feed on the nectar of red hot poker plants, and may transport pollen from flower to flower as they do so

144
144
article thumbnail

Mathematicians Discover a New Kind of Shape That’s All over Nature

Scientific American

Mathematicians have found a new kind of shape with connections to nature and art

145
145
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

This Big Oil Sponsorship Just Got Dirtier

Legal Planet

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ most prominent sponsor — Phillips 66, which owns 76 gas — was just indicted for violating the Clean Water Act by allegedly dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater from its Carson oil refinery into the LA County sewer system. The details are spelled out in a six-count indictment against the Houston-based company returned by a federal grand jury.

article thumbnail

As Ocean Waters Warm, a Race to Breed Heat-Resistant Coral

Yale E360

Around the world, researchers are working on a range of projects that aim to enhance corals’ resistance to marine heat waves. In a promising sign, a U.K. team recently became the first to quantify an uptick in heat tolerance among adult corals selectively bred for the trait.

Ocean 278
article thumbnail

It’s Time for OSHA to Finalize a Strong Heat Health Standard to Protect Workers: Here’s How You Can Help.

Union of Concerned Scientists

It’s November, and heat may not be the first thing on your mind. But here’s why it should be and what you can do to help indoor and outdoor workers stay safe from deadly heat. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a proposed heat health safety standard and is taking comments on it through the end of December. Please weigh in to protect workers’ health and safety.

article thumbnail

Guest Post: Is the Future of Organic Food at Risk? Research Funding Holds the Answer

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

Photo credit: Matt Ryan/Sandra Wayman Editor’s Note: This blog post is a guest post authored by Gordon Merrick, Senior Policy and Programs Manager at the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Mark Schonbeck, Research Associate, also at OFRF, which is an NSAC member. The world is increasingly recognizing the value of sustainable food systems, and organic agriculture plays a vital role in this movement.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Striking photos highlight the stark reality of Arctic glacier melt

New Scientist

A pair of photos, taken nearly six decades apart, reveals dramatic ice loss in the Arctic linked to climate change

article thumbnail

World’s Oldest Alphabet Discovered

Scientific American

A finger-sized clay cylinder from a tomb in northern Syria appears to be the oldest example of writing using an alphabet rather than hieroglyphs or cuneiform

144
144
article thumbnail

Meeting information needs for water markets: Understanding water diversion and use

Legal Planet

by Nell Green Nylen and Molly Bruce Water scarcity is a growing problem for agriculture and ecosystems across the U.S. Southwest. In many areas, unsustainable water use has overstretched local water supplies, and climate change is making these supplies more volatile. Water markets have the potential to enhance climate resilience by helping water users adapt to short-term variations in water supply and by easing long-term transitions to more sustainable levels of water use.

article thumbnail

Will Hydrogen Hubs Be a Clean Energy Boom or Boondoggle?

Yale E360

As part of a $7 billion investment in hydrogen, the U.S. Department of Energy is committed to building a network of hydrogen facilities and pipelines centered in southeast Pennsylvania. Critics are questioning the project’s expense and its net savings in carbon emissions.

article thumbnail

Florida and California Have This Need in Common: Clean Backup Power

Union of Concerned Scientists

At this point, I’d wager that pretty much everyone in the US either has been affected or knows someone who has been affected recently by a natural disaster-related electric power outage. Often the households dealing only with a power outage, and not also fire, flood , or freeze directly threatening their lives and property, are the lucky ones. That doesn’t reduce the hardship of a power outage.

article thumbnail

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Will Fight Preliminary FERC Permit Granted For Proposed Susquehanna River Hydroelectric Project In York County

PA Environment Daily

On November 21, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation announced it is considering its next move in the fight against plans to create a hydroelectric facility in York County and build a 1.8-mile-long dam and flood 580 acres of farms, fields, and forests at Cuffs Run. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted a preliminary permit to York Energy Storage LLC, for a 1,000-acre pumped-storage hydroelectric facility proposed for Cuffs Run, near the Susquehanna River.

article thumbnail

Bluesky is ushering in a pick-your-own algorithm era of social media

New Scientist

Nearly 20 million people have joined Bluesky, a social network that gives you fine-grained control over what you see and who you interact with.

article thumbnail

Melting Glaciers Are Causing Billions of Dollars of Damage

Scientific American

Thawing ice, from the high peaks to the poles, is producing extraordinarily expensive floods, infrastructure damage and losses to tourism and fishing

145
145
article thumbnail

NEPA in the Supreme Court (Part II)

Legal Planet

Our last post explained the background of the Seven Counties NEPA case, which is currently pending in the Supreme Court. Today, we discuss the radical arguments that have been made in the case and why they should be rejected. NEPA requires that agencies consider the environmental effects of their projects, but the petitioners raise hairsplitting arguments to exclude obvious effects due to technicalities.

article thumbnail

In India, Cameras Deployed to Track Wildlife Are Used to Spy on Women

Yale E360

In northern India, drones and camera traps deployed to monitor wildlife are being used by local officials to spy on women without their consent.

230
230