March, 2023

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Big Oil’s Denial and Delay Is Endangering Our Future

Union of Concerned Scientists

In a few days, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release its latest synthesis report that provides a comprehensive assessment of the current state of scientific knowledge on climate change, including its causes, impacts, and potential solutions. These reports reflect how the world has responded, or failed to respond, to climate change.

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For Your Phone and EV, a Cobalt Supply Chain to a Hell on Earth

Yale E360

The race for high-tech metals has sparked a cobalt boom in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has come at a steep human cost. In an e360 interview, author Siddharth Kara talks about the horrific conditions in the mines that are putting thousands of workers at risk.

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Some new CMIP6 MSU comparisons

Real Climate

We add some of the CMIP6 models to the updateable MSU comparisons. After my annual update , I was pointed to some MSU-related diagnostics for many of the CMIP6 models (24 of them at least) from Po-Chedley et al. (2022) courtesy of Ben Santer. These are slightly different to what we have shown for CMIP5 in that the diagnostic is the tropical corrected-TMT (following Fu et al., 2004 ) which is a better representation of the mid-troposphere than the classic TMT diagnostic through an adjustment usin

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Why the Bay Area’s Zero-Emission Appliance Rule is a Big Deal

Legal Planet

Photo by Desolation Hiker via Flickr (CC-BY-NC 2.0) Creator: Christian Arballo Air quality officials in the San Francisco Bay Area just made history by moving to adopt the nation’s first rules phasing out new gas-fueled water heaters and furnaces in homes and businesses within about eight years. This action serves as a major step in the effort to curb health-harming and planet-warming emissions from buildings.

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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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UN Water Conference Marked by Enthusiasm, Uncertainty

Circle of Blue

Conference produces more than 700 commitments for water. The UN Water Conference was held March 22-24, 2023, in New York City. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – March 31, 2023 What, in the end, did all the buzz accomplish? To draw attention to ambitious global goals for water, sanitation, and ecosystems, the United Nations brought together people passionate about water for three days of panel discussions, speeches, commitments to action, and networking.

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Net-Zero Climate Commitments. Ambitious Goals or Greenwashing?

Environment + Energy Leader

According to CSE Research, more companies are trying to be in line with Climate standards and frameworks, aiming to secure better ratings related to climate change risk assessment. The post Net-Zero Climate Commitments. Ambitious Goals or Greenwashing? appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

More Trending

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How Indigenous People Are Restoring Brazil’s Atlantic Forest

Yale E360

The Guarani Mbya people are working to restore the once-vast Atlantic Forest, which has been largely lost to development. Gaining official tenure of their lands, they hope, will boost their efforts, which range from planting native trees to reintroducing pollinators.

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How not to science

Real Climate

A trip down memory lane and a lesson on scientific integrity. I had reason to be reviewing the history of MSU satellite retrievals for atmospheric temperatures recently. It’s a fascinating story of technology, creativity, hubris, error, imagination, rivalry, politics, and (for some) a search for scientific consilience – worthy of movie script perhaps?

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Top 5 Climate Reasons To Reduce Driving, Even With Electric Vehicles

Legal Planet

California and other jurisdictions have been moving to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as a climate solution. Yet some pro-sprawl interests question whether this is necessary, given the advent of electric vehicles. It’s fair to ask: if all vehicles are “zero emission,” do we really need to care any more about how much driving we do, in terms of the climate impact?

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UN Conference on Water Aims to Rally Support for Ambitious Goals

Circle of Blue

Global water challenges headline gathering in New York City this week. Ujang delivers water to customers in the poor neighborhoods of North Jakarta. His cart is a crucial supply line to communities beset by water insecurity. © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – March 20, 2023 The last time the United Nations hosted a conference dedicated to global water supply and sanitation the world looked vastly different.

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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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Can Machine Learning Help Optimize Biomass Production for Sustainability?

Environment + Energy Leader

By considering the entire lifecycle of the materials, from how they are generated to their potential environmental impact, machine learning can help to identify the most sustainable ways to create BDM. The post Can Machine Learning Help Optimize Biomass Production for Sustainability? appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Rising Seas, Rising Stakes: The Case for an International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion 

Union of Concerned Scientists

Heat-trapping emissions are continuing to rise while the gap between what is needed to keep Paris Agreement goals in reach and adapt to ongoing climate impacts is ever-widening. This dire state of affairs is just one of the reasons why the Republic of Vanuatu and more than 100 other nations have drafted a resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an advisory opinion on climate change.

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The East Coast Whale Die-Offs: Unraveling the Causes

Yale E360

Activists are blaming a recent spate of humpback strandings off New York and New Jersey on seismic exploration by offshore wind companies. But scientists say the deaths are not unusual and are likely due to increased ship traffic and entanglements with fishing gear.

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WHY AN ORANGE PEEL COULD LINE UP YOUR POCKET…

Cleannovate

Some Oranges are sweet while others…Well let’s just say ‘not so sweet’ Despite the differences, oranges- and by extension other … More

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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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CEQA, California’s Housing Crisis & the Little Hoover Commission

Legal Planet

Beginning today, California’s “Little Hoover Commission” will convene a series of three public hearings to consider how well–or poorly–the state’s California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is currently working. A special focus of the Commission’s deliberations will be whether and to what extent California’s most important and overarching environmental law is impeding efforts by the Legislature and Governor Newsom to address the state’s chr

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Tax Incentives Find New Purpose for Conserving Water in American West

Circle of Blue

Conservation easements protect the region’s depleted groundwater. Dust and cows in the fall in the San Luis Valley. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Creative Commons user Michael Rael By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – March 9, 2023 The San Luis Valley, a high desert farming region in southern Colorado, is a land of daunting natural constraints, especially its scarce water reserves.

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Top Tips for Kicking Off a Sustainability Journey

Environment + Energy Leader

As organizations look internally, they should understand the initiatives of department sourcing. What are the goals? Has the team been educated in sustainability? Does the team have incentives beyond sustainability? The post Top Tips for Kicking Off a Sustainability Journey appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Can International Law Save the Planet from Climate Change?

Union of Concerned Scientists

For the first time, the International Court of Justice (ICJ)—the world’s highest court—may be ruling on climate change. Ranging from human rights violations to border disputes, conflicts among nations are often complex and contentious. When diplomacy needs backup, countries turn to resolve their disputes at the ICJ, the United Nations’ principal judicial organ, to set the tone for international law.

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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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Unheralded Environmentalist: Jimmy Carter’s Green Legacy

Yale E360

With the former president now in hospice care, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird looks back on Jimmy Carter’s environmental record in the White House — from his sweeping protection of Alaska’s wild lands to his efforts to push the nation toward renewable energy.

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THE CROTON SEED POTENTIAL

Cleannovate

I weaved my way through the different exhibition booths.

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Lobster Wars

Legal Planet

The Maine lobster industry is suing the Monterey Aquarium for advising consumers to avoid Maine lobsters. This is “cancel culture” on steroids. The Aquarium has taken a stand the industry doesn’t like, so the industry is trying to silence it and its other critics. “Silencing” here is quite literal: the industry is seeking an injunction to gag the Aquarium.

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Perspective | How Water Partnerships Can Yield Better Results

Circle of Blue

Avoiding four common pitfalls for water-sector partnerships. The collaboration message was clear at COP27, the UN climate conference held in November 2022, in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue By Lesley Pories, Global Water Partnership – March 15, 2022 Imagine this: you organize a large potluck dinner. You take great pains to get people to sign up for a dish – in some cases times telling your colleague which dish to bring, because they do it so well – and you ensure t

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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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ABP Commits to Net Zero by 2040, A Decade Ahead of the UK’s Legal Commitment

Environment + Energy Leader

The UK’s leading ports group, Associated British Ports (ABP) launched a new sustainability strategy, which invests £2 billion in decarbonization and other major energy infrastructure projects. The post ABP Commits to Net Zero by 2040, A Decade Ahead of the UK’s Legal Commitment appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Today’s Electric Vehicles Can Greatly Reduce Emissions From Driving

Union of Concerned Scientists

Transportation is the largest source of global warming emissions in the US and the passenger vehicles many of us drive are responsible for the majority of transportation global warming emissions. Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change will require the rapid reduction in these emissions from the vehicles we drive. Electric vehicles (EVs) can eliminate tailpipe emissions altogether and are also more efficient than gasoline vehicles making EVs an important technology for reducing both global-

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EU Approves 2035 Ban on Sales of Gas-Powered Cars

Yale E360

EU countries have approved an end to the sale of gas-powered cars in 2035, allowing the law to enter into force.

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REPURPOSING WASTE TYRES

Cleannovate

How can we make use of waste without making things a bit too complicated? I mean… Composting is good.

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The Great-Great-Grandmother of Climate Science

Legal Planet

The first climate science ever published was in 1856 by Eunice Newton Foote, who discovered that CO2 and water vapor trapped the sun’s heat. Her paper was read at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That paper, along with another paper of hers, were the only physics papers by an American woman for the next thirty years.

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Explorers Club Names J. Carl Ganter a Fellow, Recognizing Contributions to Freshwater Research, Conservation and Journalism

Circle of Blue

Circle of Blue co-founder joins roster of explorers who have “inspired many of the world’s greatest discoveries” as water stress becomes a serious threat to people, business, the environment and political stability across the world NEW YORK (FEB 27, 2023) — The Explorers Club — the distinguished international society that promotes scientific expeditions and discovery that push the bounds of human possibility — has named J.

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WWF Reaches Agreement to Conserve Marine Life

Environment + Energy Leader

Almost two decades in the making, the text outlines mechanisms to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including the high seas. The post WWF Reaches Agreement to Conserve Marine Life appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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The Agriculture Resilience Act Is a Win for Sustainable Nutrition Science 

Union of Concerned Scientists

The Agriculture Resilience Act (ARA) of 2023 was re-introduced in Congress today. The ARA is comprehensive, science-based legislation that covers many topics related to environmental and climate concerns in agriculture, including conservation on both agricultural and pasture land, renewable energy, and food loss and waste. The ARA is bold legislation that equips farmers with funding for climate resilience, including a much-needed focus on soil health.

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As Enforcement Lags, Toxic Coal Ash Keeps Polluting U.S. Water

Yale E360

Despite rules requiring remediation, only a few of the nearly 300 U.S. power plants storing toxic ash — the residue of burning coal — have started cleanups or have plans to do so. Many of these sites are polluting groundwater, putting the drinking water for millions at risk.

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A Valuable Early-warning System for Disease Outbreaks Could Be Shut Down

Scientific American

Uncertain funding means wastewater surveillance programs could close in the future

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