Sat.Oct 30, 2021 - Fri.Nov 05, 2021

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As Warming and Drought Increase, A New Case for Ending Big Dams

Yale E360

The argument against major hydropower projects — ravaged ecosystems and large-scale displacement of people — is well known. But dam critics now say that climate change, bringing dried-up reservoirs and increased methane releases, should spell the end of big hydropower. Read more on E360 ?.

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2021 Election Recap: New York Voters Approve Clean Water Constitutional Amendment

Circle of Blue

High-profile water-related issues were also on the ballot in Maine, Boise, and Virginia Beach. The New York City skyline and the Hudson River. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue. New Yorkers approved an environmental rights amendment in their state constitution. Voters in Boise and Virginia Beach authorized infrastructure spending plans that exceed a half-billion dollars.

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Florida Governor Suppresses the Vote, State University Suppresses the Voting Experts

Union of Concerned Scientists

Scientists everywhere should be outraged at this attempt by the University of Florida to suppress science in a crucial public policy debate.

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Is China Doing Enough on Climate Change? COP26 Version

Legal Planet

As COP26 kicks off in Glasgow, Scotland this week, the world is confronted with a basic reality. Current national climate pledges fall well-short of the Paris Agreement goal to keep global average temperature increase this century well below 2°C and to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The UN’s 2021 Emissions Gap Report finds that under current pledges temperatures will still rise by 2.7°C by the end of the century.

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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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More Eyes on Polluters: The Growth of Citizen Monitoring

Yale E360

In pollution hotspots like western Pennsylvania — where petrochemical facilities are proliferating — local residents, distrustful of companies and government, are taking advantage of low-cost technologies to do their own monitoring of air, water, and noise pollution. Read more on E360 ?.

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What’s Up With Water – November 1, 2021

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 international news, this week marks the start of a critical UN climate conference, known as COP26. Leaders meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, have three main issues on the agenda. One is strengthening commitments to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep the planet from dangerously overheating.

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New periodic table focuses on sustainability, gaining a physics PhD age 89

Physics World

We do love an alternative periodic table here at Physics World , so I was chuffed to discover that the European Chemical Society has put a sustainable twist on its version of the table that displays the elements in terms of their abundance here on Earth. Any guesses regarding the most abundant element on Earth? Judging from the table it is oxygen, followed possibly by silicon and then maybe hydrogen.

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Glasgow Climate Conference Opens With Dire Warnings and Muted Expectations

Yale E360

Some big international conferences begin with high ambition and end in ignominious failure. Some start with modest ambition and achieve major success. It’s too early to tell how the UN climate conference in Glasgow will go. Yet as the biggest climate negotiations since the Paris Agreement in 2015 began today in Scotland, the British hosts were making strikingly downbeat assessments of its chances of achieving further progress on taming climate change.

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HotSpots H2O: The Philippines’ Largest Wetland Faces Prospect of Drilling

Circle of Blue

The newly autonomous Bangsamoro government has invited investors to pursue drilling projects in a marsh critical for both Indigenous peoples and wildlife. The 288,000-hectare marsh is the country’s largest intact wetland, and an internationally-recognized “important bird and biodiversity area.” Photo © Rex Songcayauon / Flickr Creative Commons.

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Science Is Rising: STEM Students Rocked the Vote in 2020 Election

Union of Concerned Scientists

Science Network community and partnerships manager Melissa Varga shares her rundown of recent student voter data–it's good news for democracy.

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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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COP26: Last seven years warmest on record, says UN climate report

New Scientist

As the COP26 climate summit opens in Glasgow, the UN's World Meteorological Organization says global average temperatures have been 1°C warmer than pre-industrial levels for two decades

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In Glasgow, Experts Warn of Widespread Misspending of Climate Adaptation Funds

Yale E360

Tens of billions of dollars in aid are being poured into helping the most vulnerable nations to adapt to climate change. Rich nations in Glasgow are promising more. But is the money being well spent? Authors of a new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) say not. Often it is funding projects that increase vulnerability. Read more on E360 ?.

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Large, defect-free quasicrystals could be made by ‘self-healing’

Physics World

A new way to grow large, defect-free quasicrystals has been developed by researchers in the US. Through a combination of experiments and simulations, Ashwin Shahani and colleagues at the University of Michigan showed how clusters of growing quasicrystals can coalesce to create larger structures, provided they are mostly aligned with each other. The results could pave the way for a new wave of interest in the exotic materials.

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Verdict on First US Fuel Economy and Emissions Program for Trucks: Success?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Last week, EPA released its first scorecard on how truck manufacturers are faring under these new standards. The simple answer is: quite well.

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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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On the wrong path: the proposed Trails Act needs changes to ensure trail management reflects science

Environmental Law Centre

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On the wrong path: the proposed Trails Act needs changes to ensure trail management reflects science Edmonton, Alberta – November 3, 2021. The post On the wrong path: the proposed Trails Act needs changes to ensure trail management reflects science appeared first on Environmental Law Centre.

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A Worrying Resurgence of Coal Becomes a Key Focus at Glasgow

Yale E360

Is coal-burning in the midst of being banished from the world’s energy systems? Or is it, on the contrary, bouncing back as countries reboot their economies after the pandemic lockdown? The answer may seal the fate of the planet, but it remains up in the air after contradictory claims in recent hours at the Glasgow climate summit. Politicians are optimistic; scientists much less so.

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How to build tiny robots from stretchy sheets

Physics World

New research shows that microscale robots can be made from shape shifting 2D sheets. Itai Cohen and Itay Griniasty of Cornell University in the US have developed a mathematical technique for encoding the motion cycle of a tiny robot onto the surface of a flat material. Working alongside Cyrus Mostajeran of the UK’s University of Cambridge, they believe that their work will make it possible to design microscale swimming robots from materials such as liquid crystal elastomers and hydrogels.

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More and More: 5 Offshore Wind Stories I’m Watching

Union of Concerned Scientists

As US offshore wind begins to become a reality, it is providing more (and more) reasons to be excited.

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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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Other People Don't Think You're a Mess

Scientific American

Individuals often overestimate how harshly others judge them. But self-compassion can help build a more balanced, healthy perspective. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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In Glasgow, Financiers Vow to Shift Investments from Fossil Fuels to Renewables

Yale E360

Follow the money. Whatever politicians promise, what matters is where investment goes. Does it finance coal or wind power, deforestation or ecological recovery? So the announcement, on day three in Glasgow, that financiers who control 40 percent of the world’s corporate assets, with a value of $130 trillion, are promising to set their future investments toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050, is clearly a big deal.

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Superconductor reveals new state of matter involving pairs of Cooper pairs

Physics World

Cool a material below its superconducting transition temperature and you’d expect it to start conducting electricity without resistance and expelling magnetic fields. But an international group of physicists has found that a certain kind of iron-based material doped with negative charges does the opposite at around the same temperature – producing spontaneous magnetic fields and retaining resistance when chilled.

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What is the Supply Chain for Clean Energy and Climate Change?

Union of Concerned Scientists

To deliver new clean energy, the country will need changes in transmission and transmission policy.

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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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Where Gun Stores Open, Gun Homicides Increase

Scientific American

More oversight of dealers and investment in impoverished communities are key to reducing violence, say experts. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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E360 Reports: Daily Coverage of the Glasgow Climate Conference

Yale E360

Yale Environment 360 is providing ongoing coverage of the UN climate summit. Our contributing writer Fred Pearce reports on the latest developments at the high-stakes conference now underway in Glasgow, Scotland. Read more on E360 ?.

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Cooper pairs spotted above critical temperature for superconductivity

Physics World

The most direct evidence so far that Cooper pairs of electrons can exist in a material above the critical temperature for superconductivity has been claimed by Koen Bastiaans and Milan Allan of Leiden University in the Netherlands and colleagues. Their work builds on previous research suggesting that electron pairs could be responsible for the mysterious pseudogap state in unconventional superconductors.

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The Clock is Running Out on Voting Rights

Union of Concerned Scientists

UCS Fellow Michael Latner breaks down the importance of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and its provisions.

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Grumpy and aggressive shelter cats become more friendly over time

New Scientist

Some animals can develop problematic behaviours the longer they stay in an animal shelter, but cats tend to become friendlier and less aggressive

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Hunt for Alien Life Tops Next-Gen Wish List for U.S. Astronomy

Scientific American

A major report outlining the highest priorities and recommendations for U.S. astronomy has finally been released, revealing the shape of things to come. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Industry engagement prepares UK for quantum transformation

Physics World

The promise of quantum computers is starting to turn into reality. Research groups in academia and industry have built early demonstrators with a few tens of qubits, and within the next few years it seems likely that practical quantum computers will for the first time be able to surpass the performance of classical silicon-based processors. Based on current roadmaps, quantum devices will be powerful and reliable enough in 10 to 15 years’ time to tackle complex problems across science, tech

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The Clock is Running Out to Protect Voting Rights

Union of Concerned Scientists

Time for the US Senate to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

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Drone used in attack on US electrical grid last year, report reveals

New Scientist

A US intelligence report has revealed that a drone was used in an attempt to disable an electrical substation in Pennsylvania last year, in the first known attack of its kind

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Seeing Red: What the Color of House Finches Can Tell Us

Cool Green Science

What can house finches teach us about coloration and ornamentation in birds? The post Seeing Red: What the Color of House Finches Can Tell Us appeared first on Cool Green Science.

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