Sat.May 06, 2023 - Fri.May 12, 2023

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Spring Brings Record Heat to Europe, North Africa, Southeast Asia

Yale E360

A hot spell in Southeast Asia has broken all-time heat records. It comes on the heels of a record-breaking heat wave in Southern Europe and North Africa that scientists say was "almost impossible" without climate change.

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Lab-grown meat could be 25 times worse for the climate than beef

New Scientist

Analysis finds the carbon footprint of cultivated meat is likely to be higher than beef if current production methods are scaled up because they are still highly energy-intensive

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Actis Launches $500 Million Renewable Energy Platform in Japan

Environment + Energy Leader

Nozomi Energy will focus on aiding the country's emission reduction targets and low-carbon economy goals through onshore wind and solar sources.

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Transforming Transportation: Opportunity for a Sustainable and Equitable Electric Future

Union of Concerned Scientists

Electric transportation is essential for a cleaner and healthier world. Replacing gasoline vehicles with electric can reduce emissions that cause climate change and illnesses. Researchers like me are putting a microscope to the electric vehicles (EVs) because, as with any extraction and manufacturing, there are associated impacts. We are specifically looking at the social and environmental impacts of mining and processing the minerals that are used in the batteries powering these vehicles, buses

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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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Louisiana Becomes First State to Issue Drinking Water Report Cards

Circle of Blue

Move aims for transparency and to identify struggling water systems. The water tower in Sunset, Louisiana. The town’s water system received a D grade in the state’s first report card. Photo courtesy of Patrick under Creative Commons license BY-NC-SA 2.0 By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – May 11, 2023 In an effort to improve public communication, the Louisiana Department of Health published its inaugural water system report cards last week, becoming the first state in the country to us

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As Ocean Oxygen Levels Dip, Fish Face an Uncertain Future

Yale E360

Global warming not only increases ocean temperatures, it triggers a cascade of effects that are stripping the seas of oxygen. Fish are already moving to new waters in search of oxygen, and scientists are warning of the long-term threat to fish species and marine ecosystems.

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More Trending

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An A to Z of Fossil Fuel Industry Deception

Union of Concerned Scientists

This year has brought new evidence of what major fossil fuel companies knew and when about the role their products play in climate change, as well as what they did in spite of what they knew. The evidence builds on revelations from the US House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s investigation during the last Congress into Big Oil’s climate disinformation.

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Canada’s Top Seven Climate Villains Fueling Climate Catastrophe

Enviromental Defense

What do the CEO of Imperial Oil, the head of RBC bank and the head of Big Oil’s biggest lobby association, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, all have in common? They’re all committed to using their power to block climate action in order to profit personally from more oil and gas production. And they’re preventing efforts to build a healthy, equitable world beyond fossil fuels.

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This Zambian Took on a U.K. Mining Giant on Pollution and Won

Yale E360

Chilekwa Mumba led a court battle to hold a U.K.-based company responsible for the gross pollution from a copper mine it owns in Zambia. In an interview, he talks about how he and local villagers faced arrest to overcome long odds and finally win a landmark legal victory.

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High Demand for Leaders and Board Members with Experience in ESG and Sustainability

Environment + Energy Leader

As the G20 countries are collectively responsible for 80% of global emissions, the aim of reducing the emissions by 55% by 2030, is at the top of the corporate agenda.

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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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Illinois Dust Storm Disaster Is a Warning for Agriculture

Union of Concerned Scientists

On a stretch of interstate highway in central Illinois last week, a freak dust storm caused a series of massive vehicle pileups that killed seven people and injured dozens more. The cause of the tragedy, according to Illinois State Police , was “excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway leading to zero visibility.” News reports noted that dust storms are rare in Illinois, but drier, hotter conditions in many farming communities could make such events more frequ

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Climate Change Forces a Rethinking of Mammoth Everglades Restoration Plan

Inside Climate News

Even as the $21 billion effort unfolds, officials realize that its water infrastructure cannot contend with rising seas, violent storms and Florida’s non-stop influx of residents. By Amy Green ORLANDO, Fla.—In 1948, work got underway in the Florida Everglades on a public works project hailed as the nation’s largest, aimed at reigning in once and for all the mighty river of grass that once spanned much of the peninsula.

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Amazon Deforestation Down 40 Percent So Far This Year

Yale E360

So far this year, deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is down 40 percent from the same period in 2022, according to government data. The drop comes as a win for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has promised to curb forest less.

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LG Energy Solution Capitalizes on Battery Storage Demand

Environment + Energy Leader

Most people know about battery storage -- the devices that store and release energy for shorter spurts of time. As for LG Energy Solution, it is opening up a huge battery plant in Arizona in 2025.

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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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Food Insecurity Is a Bigger Problem Than Our Government Thinks

Union of Concerned Scientists

If you’ve been following my blog for the past six months, you probably know national food insecurity rates by heart. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), 10% of households in the United States were not sure where their next meal was going to come from in 2021. Among Black households, it was 20%, and among Hispanic households, 16%. But how do we know this—and do these numbers accurately represent the experiences of households across the United States?

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Scientists discover microbes in the Alps and Arctic that can digest plastic at low temperatures

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer Image: Beat Stierli Scientists from Switzerland have identified 19 novel strains of cold-adapted specialist bacteria and fungi from the Alps and the Arctic region that can digest biodegradable plastics at 15°C. This ability, if upscaled to an industrial scale, will save money and energy during recycling Finding, cultivating, and bioengineering organisms that can digest plastic not only aids in the removal of pollution, but is now also big business.

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Birds Are Shrinking as the Climate Warms — and Small Birds Are Shrinking Faster

Yale E360

As temperatures rise, birds' bodies are growing smaller, but their wings are growing longer. A new study finds this shift is most pronounced among the tiniest species.

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High LNG Demand Puts Samsung Heavy Industries on a Roll

Environment + Energy Leader

Samsung Heavy Industries is on a roll, having netted roughly $12 billion in sales in 2021 and $9.4 billion in 2022 — the same goal for 2023. Asia and Europe are thirsty for the liquefied natural gas its ships carry, mainly because their domestic manufacturers are paying high prices for natural gas.

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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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Repurposing Cropland Can Bring Environmental, Socioeconomic, and Water Justice to California

Union of Concerned Scientists

There is not enough water in California to sustain our current practices and everybody knows it. In normal years and in dry years, California agriculture, industry, and households draw more groundwater than we should. And when we get wet years with deep snowpack and full reservoirs , we do not have the infrastructure to replenish the groundwater aquifers that much of the state relies on.

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The Feed: Vol. 1, Issue 9

National Law Center

The Feed newsletter highlights recent legal developments affecting agriculture, with issues released twice a month. Click below to sign up for. The post The Feed: Vol. 1, Issue 9 appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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Rats can move objects in virtual reality using only their thoughts

New Scientist

By reading a rat's intentions from its brain patterns, an AI can help the rodent move objects in a virtual environment

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Survey: Inflation Reduction Act, Supply Chain Impact Solar Energy Industry

Environment + Energy Leader

SolarReviews’ 2022 report shows many in the renewable sector feel growth will continue as products like storage and EV charging also increase.

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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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Coalition Members Deliver Their Food and Farm Bill Message to Congress

Union of Concerned Scientists

After several years of virtual meetings due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, this May marked the return of the annual in-person conference for members of the Good Food For All (GFFA) coalition. It was also an opportunity for dozens of these grassroots and policy organizations from more than 20 states to take a side trip to Capitol Hill and advocate for a transformational food and farm bill —one that centers equity and racial justice to create a more healthy and sustainable food system by takin

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PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment May 13

PA Environment Daily

The following DEP notices were published in the May 13 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities. Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments. Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups -- American Refining Group Refinery: DEP received a Risk Assessment concerning remediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene, Xylenes (total), Cumene (Isopropylbenzene), Methyl tert-Butyl Ether, Naphthalene, Trimethyl benzene, 1,2,4-(Trimethyl benzene

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Restoring Seabird Populations Can Help Repair the Climate

Inside Climate News

The number of ocean going birds has declined 70 percent since the 1950s. New research shows how projects bringing them back can also bolster ocean ecosystems that sequester carbon. By Bob Berwyn Seabirds evolved about 60 million years ago, as Earth’s continents drifted toward their current positions and modern oceans took shape. They spread across thousands of undisturbed islands in the widening seas.

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EPA’s Clean School Bus Program Enters Second Round of Funding

Environment + Energy Leader

The EPA anticipates making 25-50 cooperative agreements under this grant program. For effective implementation, the EPA will divide them among different EPA regions.

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I Don’t Make the Rules, I Comment on Them

Union of Concerned Scientists

It is one thing for Congress to pass a law. It is entirely different thing for a federal agency to make a rule (in other words, regulations) in accordance with that law. You may be thinking, “What have federal agency rules ever done for me?” One example that might literally hit home is lead poisoning prevention. While lead has historically had many uses as an additive to products such as paints and gasoline, it is also a very dangerous and cumulative toxicant.

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This Frog May Be the First Amphibian Known to Pollinate Flowers

Scientific American

A tiny, orange Brazilian tree frog may be the first known amphibian pollinator, further broadening our understanding of which animals perform this crucial biological function

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NY Bills to Ban Harmful PFAS Chemicals & Protect Our Health

NRDC

The New York State legislature only has a few short weeks left in the 2023 session to ban toxic PFAS chemicals from consumer products to protect communities.

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Taco Bell Secures New Sustainable Beef Supply Chain Partnership

Environment + Energy Leader

Taco Bell continues to prioritize other commitments and collaborative efforts to improve sourcing efforts, including membership in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef and ongoing initiatives to improve the sustainability of its packaging suite.

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The Camouflaged Looper: This Inchworm Makes Its Own Flower “Costume”

Cool Green Science

Meet the caterpillar with incredible ability to disguise itself by attaching pieces of plant to its back. The post The Camouflaged Looper: This Inchworm Makes Its Own Flower “Costume” appeared first on Cool Green Science.

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Monday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 5.8.23

PA Environment Daily

Are You Telling Your Story? House holds Regular Session May 22, 23, 24, June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22 -- Committee Schedule Senate holds Regular Session May 8, 9, 10, June 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 -- Committee Schedule TODAY’s Calendar Of Events TODAY Off The Floor: Senate Appropriations Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 188 (DiSanto-R- Dauphin) authorizing the General Assembly to kill regulations by doing nothing [ Read more here ]; Senate Bill 190 (Brooks-R-Crawford) requiring