Sat.Dec 25, 2021 - Fri.Dec 31, 2021

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Satellite Images of Our Changing Earth in 2021

Yale E360

NASA's Earth Observatory regularly publishes striking satellite images of our rapidly changing planet, from the massive fires in Greece and California to the historic floods in China and the Netherlands. These photos document the ways human beings are remaking the planet, both by building dams, cities, and farms, and by fueling climate change, which, in turn, is spurring more drought, wildfires, floods, and other disasters.

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Rescuing FEMA (and ourselves)

Legal Planet

2021 was a year of disasters, with extraordinary heat waves, fires, a string of hurricanes, a cold snap that left Texas in the dark, winter tornados, and torrential rains. FEMA has been left badly overstretched. That’s an urgent problem, and it’s likely a foretaste of the future. This is not just a problem for the overloaded folks at FEMA. It’s a problem for all of us, in an era where disasters are coming fast and furious.

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WHY A PhD MATTERS OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY

Cleannovate

Is a PhD useful outside the walls of a university? For ages, this qualification has been touted as the gold standard for research practitioners. PhD holders are not only expected to research on new ways of solving problems but also teach students in university. But what options do they have when universities seem to be downsizing instead of employing?

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The Stream, December 29, 2021: Arizona Farms Are Failing To Produce Crops During Drought

Circle of Blue

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN. Tourism is stressing water supplies along South Africa’s. Two burst dams in Brazil’s Bahia state cause intense flooding. Indigenous tribes in the United States await compensation from water rights settlements. Arizona farmers struggle to grow crops amid ongoing drought. Indigenous communities in India are disproportionately affected by flooding and other climate disasters.

2021 130
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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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Kentucky to Build State's Largest Solar Project on Former Coal Mine

Yale E360

The renewable energy firm, Savion, is building a 200-megawatt solar installation on a former coal mine on the border of Kentucky and West Virginia. When completed, it will be the largest solar project in Kentucky. Read more on E360 ?.

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Hollywood Can Take On Science Denial; Don't Look Up Is a Great Example

Scientific American

This new release uses a comet hurtling toward Earth to satirize the way we dismiss scientific fact and the scientists who discover them. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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More Trending

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Touchdown of the Pacific Footballfish

Ocean Conservancy

An interesting phenomenon has been unfolding in California … . Last week, San Diego beachgoers were startled by the appearance of a creature that looked most unusual washing up on it shores – the body of a Pacific footballfish, or Himantolophus sagamius, was gently sitting on the sand. This event is notable for several reasons, particularly because this was the third time in 2021 that this type of fish made landfall.

Ocean 135
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For the European Union, 2021 Was a Banner Year for Solar Power

Yale E360

Installed solar capacity in the European Union grew by 34 percent in 2021, and Europe is now on pace to quadruple its solar energy generation by 2030, according to a new report from SolarPower Europe, a trade organization. Read more on E360 ?.

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How Biotech Crops Can Crash--and Still Never Fail

Scientific American

The U.N. Food Systems Summit put biotechnology at center stage, although agroecological innovations offer greater promise for sustainability. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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The 10 quirkiest stories from the world of physics in 2021

Physics World

Despite the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, physicists have still found time to carry out research that touches on the quirkier side of science. Here is our pick of the 10 best, not in any particular order. Chicken slap down. Three years ago a Reddit user asked how many times you’d have to slap a frozen chicken to cook it. A bit of a mad question, but armed with a few assumptions (kinetic energy of a hand slap, heat capacity of a 1 kg chicken etc), US physics student Parker Ormonde w

2021 140
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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 Elon Musk and Tesla really build a humanoid robot in 2022?

New Scientist

The car company’s expertise in AI could help it design a working prototype, but delivering a reliable product on schedule will be challenging

2022 145
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Scientists digitally ‘unwrap’ mummy of pharaoh Amenhotep I for the first time in 3,000 years

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer. For the first time since the 11th century BCE, scientists have unwrapped – virtually, using CT scans – the mummy of pharaoh Amenhotep I (r. 1525 to 1504 BCE), the only royal mummy to remain unopened in modern times. They show that the pharaoh was around 35 years old, 169cm tall, circumcized, and in good physical health when he died, apparently from natural causes.

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The James Webb Space Telescope Has Launched: Now Comes the Hard Part

Scientific American

After years of delay, the most ambitious observatory ever built has at last left Earth. It now faces a high-stakes series of deployments in deep space. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Joining the dots: how seemingly unrelated fields of science are fundamentally linked

Physics World

John Gribbin must like counting. Following on from his books Six Impossible Things (2019) and Seven Pillars of Science (2020), the veteran science writer’s latest offering is Eight Improbable Possibilities: the Mystery of the Moon and Other Implausible Scientific Truths. As the title promises, this is a whirlwind tour of the most fantastical discoveries science has revealed – the facts that are almost impossible to believe, but are true according to the best available evidence.

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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 James Webb Space Telescope is finally on its way into orbit

New Scientist

After numerous delays, the biggest space telescope ever has blasted off on Christmas Day, and will begin its science mission in mid 2022

2022 141
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Integrating snake distribution, abundance and expert-derived behavioural traits to predict snakebite risk

The Applied Ecologist

In their latest research, Martin et al. estimate the spatial patterns of seven snake species from Sri Lanka and combine these estimations with indices of species’ relative abundance, aggressiveness and envenoming severity to test whether these traits explain spatial patterns of snakebite risk.

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Cells Deep in Your Brain Place Time Stamps on Memories

Scientific American

Researchers are unlocking not just the “what” and “where” of a recollection but also the “when” -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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How geometry can help us understand everything from biology to politics

Physics World

(Courtesy: Shutterstock/Olga Korneeva). Geometry – Greek for “measuring the world” – is one of the oldest branches of mathematics and concerns shapes and their properties. In Shape: the Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else , Jordan Ellenberg, a mathematician at the University of Wisconsin , argues that what is often considered a head-spinning and irrelevant topic is anything but dull and can in fact shed light on many aspects of modern life.

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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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2022 preview: What will the coronavirus do next?

New Scientist

The coronavirus will continue to evolve and could trigger further waves of infections, requiring more vaccinations and boosters

2022 145
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Greta Thunberg calls out Biden for climate action failures

Inhabitant

Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has criticized U.S. president Joe Biden for failing to lead in the fight against the climate crisis. In a detailed interview with the Washington Post, the 18-year-old activist criticized Biden and other world leaders for their lack of action.

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A COVID Vaccine for All

Scientific American

With proved technology and no-frills tech transfer, CORBEVAX is poised to reach hundreds of millions in the coming weeks. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Help Wanted: Fish & Boat Commission Seasonal Fisheries Biologist Aide Positions

PA Environment Daily

The Fish and Boat Commission's Lake Habitat and Stream Habitat Sections are seeking qualified candidates to fill three Seasonal Fisheries Biologist Aide Positions based in Bellefonte, Centre County. Individuals in these positions will have a chance to go on the road with Habitat Management staff to complete fish habitat improvement projects all over the Commonwealth and get some great hands-on experience with implementing conservation projects.

2021 101
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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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What the thermodynamics of clocks tell us about the mysteries of time

New Scientist

Surprising new insights about the strange physics underlying how clocks work could transform our understanding of time's arrow – and hint at how time works at the quantum scale

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Scientists develop biodegradable, antimicrobial food packaging

Inhabitant

Scientists have developed biodegradable food packaging material that kills microbes that contaminate foods. The waterproof packaging uses a type of corn protein called zein, plus starch and other natural compounds. A team of scientists from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, U.S. developed the material.

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How COVID Is Changing the Study of Human Behavior

Scientific American

The pandemic is teaching us key lessons about how people respond to crisis and misinformation, and it is spurring changes in the way scientists study public health questions. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Announcing Our 2021 Volunteer of The Year!

Washington Nature

Volunteers are mission critical to The Nature Conservancy, and we are so fortunate to have such a great group of incredible, dedicated folks. In 2021, one volunteer’s contributions toward our mission rose above the rest. We are proud to announce that the 2021 Volunteer of the Year award goes to Jenna Rovegno for her work as a Lands Team Volunteer! Jenna was nominated by Isaac Hansen, TNC Conservation Transaction Specialist.

2021 98
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The mummy of Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I has been digitally unwrapped

New Scientist

Amenhotep I ruled Egypt from around 1525 to 1504 BC and his pristine mummy has never been unwrapped, but CT scans have now allowed us to peer inside

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Why regenerative agriculture will reverse climate change

Inhabitant

The trees and plants on our planet sequester carbon in the soil, absorbing it from the air and releasing oxygen in its place. If you stir the dirt, it releases that carbon back into the atmosphere.

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15 Conservation Issues to Watch in 2022

Scientific American

Airborne DNA detection, pesticides and the revival of wetlands are on the radar of biodiversity protectors. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Are we developing cities in the right way? Creating sustainable and resilient cities

HumanNature

Post by Shantanu Kumar , 2021-2022 Sustainability Leadership Fellow, and Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management at Colorado State University Sustainability and resilience of cities are different, but intertwined concepts, and should be used in conjunction with each other when planning and designing cities (and their components).

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Dolphins may communicate by changing the volume of their whistles

New Scientist

Common bottlenose dolphins identify themselves with a unique call, but these whistles may carry extra information through variations in volume

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LEGO to build its first carbon neutral factory in Vietnam

Inhabitant

LEGO has signed an agreement to build its latest factory in Vietnam, and it will be carbon neutral. The LEGO factory will achieve carbon neutrality by including rooftop solar panels and nearby supplementary solar panels through VSIP. These two solar installations will provide for all of the factory's energy needs. The factory will meet LEED Gold standards for energy consumption, water and waste.

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