March, 2022

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Wild Sounds: The Loss of Sonic Diversity and Why It Matters

Yale E360

From birdsong in the rainforest to whale calls in the oceans, the world is losing the variety of sounds that enriches life. Habitat loss, species extinctions, and industrial noise all contribute to this sonic loss, which cuts off a vital human connection to the Earth. Read more on E360 ?.

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It’s About Damn Time to Have a Black Woman on the US Supreme Court

Union of Concerned Scientists

At President Biden’s first State of the Union address, he can tout a historic promise he kept from the campaign trail in 2020: his nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the 116th Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court. Standing on the shoulders of the likes of Constance Baker Motley and many others, she […].

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IPCC Climate Report: Six Key Findings for Water

Circle of Blue

Scientific body warns of ‘rapidly closing window’ for action. A woman reaches for a hose from a water tanker in Rajasthan, India. Temperatures on this day in July 2016 exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – March 1, 2022. The United Nations climate panel issued a blunt and urgent warning to the world on Monday.

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Thai Plant Will Convert Sugar Cane to Sustainable Plastics

Environment + Energy Leader

NatureWorks will automate their new, greenfield plant in Thailand, converting sugar cane to the polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer called Ingeo. The post Thai Plant Will Convert Sugar Cane to Sustainable Plastics appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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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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CLEE’s New Executive Director

Legal Planet

I’m excited to announce that Louise Bedsworth is CLEE’s new Executive Director. It was no easy task to find the right person to run the center during such a crucial time for environmental and energy policy. Louise was previously the head of our land use program and a senior advisor to the California China Climate Institute at CLEE led by Jerry Brown.

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The Future of Climate Modeling?

Real Climate

There was an interesting workshop last week focused on the Future of Climate Modelling. It was run by the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) Core Project on Earth System Modelling and Observations (ESMO) which is part of a bewildering alphabet soup of various advisory committees that exist for mostly unclear historical reasons. This one actually does something useful – namely it helps organize the CMIP activities that many modeling groups contribute to (which inform the assessment repor

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EPA Recognizes Problem of Truck Pollution, But Hesitates on Solution

Union of Concerned Scientists

It's critical that EPA's proposed rule on pollution standards for heavy-duty trucks be stronger.

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HotSpots H2O: In Besieged Ukraine, Water Again a Locus of Conflict

Circle of Blue

Water has long been a source of geopolitical conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Three weeks into the Russian invasion, the damage is mounting. Ukrainian first responders check the remains of a street in Chernihiv. Photo © Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine /Wikimedia Commons. By Laura Gersony, Circle of Blue — March 21, 2022. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third week, water has once again become a battlefront.

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Anheuser-Busch to Implement New Water Reuse Technology in Connection with Its Breweries

Environment + Energy Leader

Anheuser-Busch is partnering with Cambrian to implement new water reuse technology in connection with its breweries – including a new plant in Houston, Texas, set to open in the summer of 2022. Through a series of reactors and filtration technologies, Anheuser-Busch will be able to clean and reuse previously discarded water in industrial processes which don’t contact beer, reducing the.

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St. Paddy Meets Modern Environmental Law

Legal Planet

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. An tAire Comhshaoil, Aeráide agus Cumarsáide. Irish Republic. March 17, 470 AD. Dear Mr. Saint Patrick, According to credible reports that have reached this office, you have been involved in the export (“banishing”) of snakes (reptiles of the suborder Serpentes) from Ireland. We are unable to find an export permit on file for these animals.

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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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Issues and Errors in a new Scafetta paper

Real Climate

Earlier this week, a new paper appeared in GRL by Nicola Scafetta (Scafetta, 2022) which purported to conclude that the CMIP6 models with medium or high climate sensitivity (higher than 3ºC) were not consistent with recent historical temperature changes. Since there have been a number of papers already on this topic, notably Tokarska et al (2020) , which did not come to such a conclusion, it is worthwhile to investigate where Scafetta’s result comes from.

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Edible Extinction: Why We Need to Revive Global Food Diversity

Yale E360

The Green Revolution helped feed a surging global population, but at the cost of impoverishing crop diversity. Now, with climate change increasingly threatening food supplies, the need for greater agricultural resilience means restoring endangered crop and food varieties. Read more on E360 ?.

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Causes and Consequences of Epic Western US Drought

Union of Concerned Scientists

Climate change is a big factor.

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What’s Up With Water — March 1, 2022

Circle of Blue

Transcript. Welcome to “What’s Up With Water,” your need-to-know news of the world’s water from Circle of Blue. I’m Eileen Wray-McCann. In Germany, concerns about water supply are clouding the future of a Tesla factory key to the carmaker’s European expansion plans. The factory has been delayed for several reasons, one of which is a lawsuit filed by two prominent environmental groups.

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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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Starbucks Eliminates PFAS in Food Packaging

Environment + Energy Leader

Starbucks has made a commitment to eliminate toxic PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in its food packaging materials. As part of the company’s new sustainable packaging policy, the transition away from these chemicals in its food packaging materials will be complete in the US by the end of 2022. The post Starbucks Eliminates PFAS in Food Packaging appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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It’s Not All CEQA’s Fault

Legal Planet

I first wrote a version of this post way back in July 2021, when Ezra Klein dropped a couple of lines knocking the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) into one of the op-eds The New York Times loves to perennially run about how California is actually the worst (I’m sorry it can’t be 80 degrees in March everywhere, guys). At the time, I thought it was possible his mischaracterization of CEQA was a one-off, but it’s now apparent that Klein has joined the all-out crusade against the law tha

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My Growing Set of Podcasts Discussing my April 2022 Going Remote book

Environmental and Urban Economics

While I don't write best selling books, I do like my books! Amazon se lls them here. In April 2022, my Going Remote book will be published. This book studies the urban and labor economic issues related to persistent Work from Home (or work from anywhere) going forward. Below, I post a growing set of podcasts where I discuss my book.

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Unnatural Barriers: How the Rapid Rise of Fences Is Harming Wildlife

Yale E360

From East Africa to Mongolia, fences are going up rapidly as livestock farming and border barriers increase. Now, a growing number of studies are documenting the impact of these fences, from impeding wildlife migrations to increasing the genetic isolation of threatened species. Read more on E360 ?.

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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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Data Doesn’t Speak, People Do!

Union of Concerned Scientists

Science Network guest blogger Professor Barbara Allen describes how scientists can better engage with communities for the best impact from their work.

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What’s Up With Water — March 29, 2022

Circle of Blue

Transcript. Welcome to “What’s Up With Water,” your need-to-know news of the world’s water from Circle of Blue. I’m Eileen Wray-McCann. In Thailand, the government cancelled a dredging and blasting project that would have straightened a rocky stretch of the Mekong River to accommodate large cargo ships. According to VOA News, environmental advocates and researchers are hailing the decision as a rare victory for a Mekong ecosystem that is under constant threat of development.

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SEC Unveils Disclosure Rules Addressing Scope 1, 2 and 3 Emissions

Environment + Energy Leader

The SEC released proposed rules for publicly traded companies to disclose information on Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions as well as other climate-related issues. The post SEC Unveils Disclosure Rules Addressing Scope 1, 2 and 3 Emissions appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Future Shock

Legal Planet

When the IPCC released its latest climate science report a few weeks ago, many commentators observed that the report should heighten our sense of urgency about climate action. Most of that discussion was at a very general level. It’s worth taking a closer look at some key findings and their policy implications. Here, I want to focus on several key points in the report.

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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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Source of fast radio bursts surprises astronomers

Physics World

The source of fast radio bursts (FRBs) first detected in 2020 is likely to be located within a dense cluster of ancient stars, according to astronomers led by Franz Kirsten at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. This comes as a surprise because current theories suggest that FRBs are emitted by neutron stars called magnetars, which are not expected to be present in clusters of ancient stars.

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Can Cloud Seeding Help Quench the Thirst of the U.S. West?

Yale E360

In the midst of an historic megadrought, states in the American West are embracing cloud seeding to increase snow and rainfall. Recent research suggests that the decades-old approach can be effective, though questions remain about how much water it can wring from the sky. Read more on E360 ?.

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The Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Fire May Be Out, But the Threat Remains

Union of Concerned Scientists

Ukraine and Russia need to establish safe zones around nuclear plants to avoid a catastrophe.

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What’s Up With Water — March 8, 2022

Circle of Blue

Transcript. Welcome to “What’s Up With Water,” your need-to-know news of the world’s water from Circle of Blue. I’m Eileen Wray-McCann. In Ukraine, the Russian invasion has endangered basic services like water and healthcare. More than a million Ukrainians have fled the country since the Russian onslaught began on February 24. Those who remain are witnessing the hardships of life in a war zone.

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Water Neutrality Plays Bigger Role in UK Building Industry’s Sustainability Efforts

Environment + Energy Leader

Water neutrality a growing focus as the UK building industry highlights sustainability targets. The post Water Neutrality Plays Bigger Role in UK Building Industry’s Sustainability Efforts appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Emissions by the Big Utilities: Where They Are, What They’re Aiming For

Legal Planet

There’s a lot of discussion of how the private sector is supporting renewable energy, but it’s almost all about power consumers like Apple and Walmart. But what about the companies who are selling the power? As a first step to getting a better sense of where the utility industry is going, we accumulated some basic data about the top ten utilities by market value.

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About

PBS Nature

Vast, wild and remote, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is where some of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles unfold. Situated in the northeast corner of Alaska, this refuge has long-protected survivors of the Ice Age that still roam a frozen wilderness. The Porcupine caribou herd traverses all of it on the longest land-animal migration on Earth, witnessing extraordinary wildlife moments along the way.

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Despite Warnings, a Destructive African Dam Project Moves Ahead

Yale E360

A massive hydroelectric dam under construction in Tanzania threatens to flood part of a famed game reserve and deprive villages and mangrove forests of the water they depend on, experts warn. But fear of the country’s authoritarian government has silenced the project’s critics. Read more on E360 ?.

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As War Rages in Ukraine, Policymakers Must Reject Fossil Fuel Industry Spin

Union of Concerned Scientists

Deputy Policy Director Julie McNamara urges policymakers to see calls from the fossil fuel industry to invest more in their operations--in response to market instability because of the war in Ukraine--as an opportunistic attempt to lower their costs and increase their profits, at great cost to us.

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The Stream, March 30, 2022: New Technology Could Solve Solar Energy’s Water Problem

Circle of Blue

Solar panels in Oregon. Photo © Oregon Department of Transportation / Flickr. YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN. Experts say mismanagement of resources could plunge Morocco into a water crisis as climate change worsens. Cameroon faces its most recent cholera outbreak. Michigan lawmakers pass a major spending bill, including billions for water infrastructure. Australian officials propose a major damming project that has been met with intense criticism for bypassing standard process.