Sat.Jul 10, 2021 - Fri.Jul 16, 2021

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Will Russia’s Forests Be an Asset or an Obstacle in Climate Fight?

Yale E360

New research indicating Russia’s vast forests store more carbon than previously estimated would seem like good news. But scientists are concerned Russia will count this carbon uptake as an offset in its climate commitments, which would allow its emissions to continue unchecked. Read more on E360 ?.

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Cheap Cybersecurity Defenses Exist, But They’re Not Reaching Water Utilities Who Need Them

Circle of Blue

An era of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure has begun. Rural water utilities have vulnerabilities and advantages. The vast majority of water utilities in the country serve fewer than 10,000 people. These utilities face unique challenges in defending themselves against cyberattacks. Photo courtesy of Colin / Wikimedia Commons. The vast majority of water utilities in the country serve fewer than 10,000 people, and they tend to have less resources and tighter budgets than their larger counter

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Stop the Burn, Save Lives: The case for a community-led zero waste model in Baltimore

Union of Concerned Scientists

The Baltimore region ranks among the worst in the U.S. for air pollution. Baltimore has two active trash incinerators and decades of pollution from both active and decommissioned industrial factories. A study by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in 2017 found air quality in the region was ranked moderate or worse one of every three days, […].

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Guest Contributor Kate Mackintosh: 200 Words to Save the Planet—The Crime of Ecocide

Legal Planet

“Permanent Premises of the International Criminal Court” by United Nations Photo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Last month, a panel of international lawyers chaired by Philippe Sands and Dior Fall Sow launched our proposal for a new crime of ‘ecocide’ – an international crime of environmental destruction that would sit alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression at the International Criminal Court.

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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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Two Dozen Large Cities Produce 52 Percent of Urban Carbon Emissions

Yale E360

Just 25 cities globally are responsible for 52 percent of urban greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study that highlights the role that cities must play in reaching the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Read more on E360 ?.

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HotSpots H2O: Kazakhstan’s Lake Balkhash Is Disappearing, Continuing a Trend of Desiccation in Central Asia

Circle of Blue

Photo © NASA Johnson. Christian Thorsberg, Circle of Blue. Viewed from space, the Balkhash drainage basin resembles a shape of life: many thin blue veins, flowing towards their heart. The likeness is fitting, as survival in southeastern Kazakhstan, an area exposed to dusty winds and extreme heat, depends on Lake Balkhash and the seven rivers that empty into it.

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Vaccination, Enlightenment Values, and the Founders

Legal Planet

Ironically, those who most trumpet their allegiance to the Founders often have least in common with their values. The Founding Fathers were men of the Enlightenment. They shared a belief that reason, free inquiry, and science would better the human condition. They looked to reason as a guide. They sought, in Jefferson’s words, to expunge “every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” Medicine was one area where the Enlightenment saw the potential for reason and science to impro

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Indigenous Peruvians Use Smartphones to Monitor Deforestation

Yale E360

Members of nearly 40 Indigenous communities in Peru's northern border region of Loreto have been using smartphone mapping apps to track deforestation in the Amazon, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported. Forest loss there has been driven by illegal gold mining and logging, and by drug traffickers clearing trees to plant coca crops, which are used to make cocaine.

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The Stream, July 13, 2021: Thousands Evacuate Sichuan After Heavy Rains Cause Flooding

Circle of Blue

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN. Thousands are evacuated from the Chinese province of Sichuan due to flooding. Heavy rains flood villages in north Bihar, India , cutting them off from metropolitan cities and aid. First Nations groups in Australia plead the federal government to distribute $40 million promised to them in 2018 for to buy water. Applications open to test for lead in drinking water throughout schools in the U.S. state of Georgia.

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Stiglitz Versus Cochrane: What Are the Non-Market Quality of Life Impacts of Climate Change?

Environmental and Urban Economics

John Cochrane recently posted an important blog post sketching out his claim that climate change will only have a small impact on world GNP over the next 75 years. He argues that the trend growth (3% growth for 60 years) will swamp the effect of climate change). As I discuss in my 2010 Climatopolis book, Singapore in recent decades has been highly productive despite the nation's heat and humidity.

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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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How a Powerful and Secretive White House Office Can Become a Force for Equity and Justice

Union of Concerned Scientists

In accordance with President Biden’s executive order on racial equity, The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently opened a public comment period requesting information on how it can help advance equity and support underserved communities in government decisionmaking. We at UCS jumped at the opportunity and submitted our public comment last week.

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Indian Coal Mines Garner Few Bids at Auction

Yale E360

India has received no bids for 70 percent of the coal mines it recently auctioned off to private companies, reflecting investor concerns about coal’s long-term profitability, Reuters reported. Read more on E360 ?.

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What’s Up With Water – July 12, 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 China, the vice premier has called for greater environmental protections along the Yellow River, the country’s second-longest waterway. Reuters reports that the call came after state media and the environmental ministry made unannounced visits to cities and prefectures in the watershed and secretly shot footage.

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Meet Our Ocean’s Zebra Sharks

Ocean Conservancy

You’ve heard of great whites. You’ve heard of hammerheads. And you’ve probably heard of makos, whale sharks and bull sharks. But have you heard … of zebra sharks? Move over, tiger sharks—there’s a new wildly-named elasmobranch species in town, and they’re here to show their stripes (sort of). Today, I’m here to walk you through seven sea -riously wild facts about this curious carpet shark species.

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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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The White House Wants Your Advice on Improving Scientific Integrity

Union of Concerned Scientists

Concerned citizens, scientists and advocates can provide input to the White House on improving scientific integrity.

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China Is Pulling Ahead in Global Quantum Race, New Studies Suggest

Scientific American

The competition between the U.S. and China over development of quantum technology has implications for both the future of science and the two countries’ political relations. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Planes Sampling Air Above the Amazon Find the Rainforest is Releasing More Carbon Than it Stores

Inside Climate News

The study, which found greater depletion of carbon storage in the heavily deforested eastern Amazon, confirmed previous research that used satellites or hands-on measuring techniques. By Georgina Gustin Over the last several years researchers have said that the Amazon is on the verge of transforming from a crucial storehouse for heat-trapping gasses to a source of them, a dangerous shift that could destabilize the atmosphere of the planet.

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The Glass Octopus is See-Through and Spectacular

Ocean Conservancy

Need a reminder that our ocean is full of unusual animals? Look no further than the glass octopus. The glass octopus ( Vitreledonella richardi ) is a very rarely seen cephalopod found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. The species gets its name from its nearly-transparent body—you can see straight through to the optic nerve, eyes and digestive tract.

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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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Companies Must Disclose—and Face—Mounting Climate Risks

Union of Concerned Scientists

Major US insurers and companies are failing to recognize the financial risks of climate change.

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Just 25 mega-cities produce 52% of the world’s urban greenhouse gas emissions

Frontiers

By Suzanna Burgelman, Frontiers science writer. Image: Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock. New research published by the open access publisher Frontiers inventories greenhouse gas emissions of 167 globally distributed cities. The study shows that just 25 mega-cities produce 52% of the greenhouse gas emissions from the studied cities. Asian cities emit the most greenhouse gasses (GHG), and most cities of developed countries had significantly higher per capita GHG emissions than those of developing count

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Microlensing reveals free-floating planets alone in deep space

Physics World

In a new blind survey of gravitational microlensing, an international team of astronomers has detected likely evidence for four Earth-sized planets wandering freely through interstellar space. Using observations from the aging Kepler Space Telescope , researchers led by Iain McDonald at the University of Manchester picked out key signs of microlensing by the planets in a crowded and noisy field of stars.

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New Space Radiation Limits Needed for NASA Astronauts, Report Says

Scientific American

Although meant to minimize risks to human health, the proposed new limits would still be exceeded by any conceivable near-future crewed voyage to Mars. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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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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Just When You Assumed It Was Safe to Go Outside, the Delta Variant Strikes

Union of Concerned Scientists

The pandemic is far from over.

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Buffered by Bears: Why Foxes Hang Out Near A Top Predator

Cool Green Science

A new study suggests gray foxes use bears as a coyote buffer. The post Buffered by Bears: Why Foxes Hang Out Near A Top Predator appeared first on Cool Green Science.

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Replicating how plants move

Physics World

“In the absence of any other proof,” Isaac Newton is once said to have proclaimed, “the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.” With 29 bones, 123 ligaments and 34 muscles pulling the strings, the human hand is indeed a feat of nature’s engineering. It lets us write, touch, hold, feel and interact in exquisite detail with the world around us.

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A New Era of Designer Babies May Be Based on Overhyped Science

Scientific American

Genetic testing with IVF is being marketed as a means to choose a healthy embryo, despite questions about the soundness of the technology. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Sustainability Bonds To Hit Record $1T In 2021

Environmental Leader

Last month, Environment & Energy Leader reported the surge in sustainability bonds. In 2020, the sustainability bond market increased eightfold, according to data provider Refinitiv. In the first quarter of 2021, sustainability bonds reached a new high of $287 billion, more than doubling the previous year’s record-breaking figures, and Moody’s. Read more ».

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Dubai police will use citywide network of drones to respond to crime

New Scientist

Dubai police will be able to respond to an incident anywhere in the United Arab Emirates city within a minute, thanks to a network of pre-positioned drone bases

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AI model accurately localizes optical neuronal cells

Physics World

An adaptive optics OCT image (top) and the WeakGCSeg algorithm result (bottom), which identified and traced the shapes of individual retinal ganglion cells. (Courtesy: Sina Farsiu, Duke University). The eyes are sometimes referred to as a window to one’s soul, a phrase with unclear origin, but filled with truth. In fact, our eyes provide a literal window into our brains.

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The two-thousand-year-old mystery of the havoc-wreaking worm

Frontiers

By Daegan Miller / University of Massachusetts Amherst Office of News and Media Relations. Section of a piling attacked by shipworms in Belfast, Maine. Image credit: Barry Goodell / University of Massachusetts Amherst. Humans have known for over two thousand years that shipworms, a worm-like mollusk, are responsible for damage to wooden boats, docks, dikes and piers.

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E.U. Set to Unveil First-Ever Carbon Border Tax

Scientific American

The proposed tax places a fee on planet warming emissions embedded in goods produced outside the union. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Cannabis was domesticated in north-west China around 12,000 years ago

New Scientist

The cannabis plant originally had multiple uses, and farmers only started breeding distinct strains for drug or fibre production around 4000 years ago

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