Sat.Apr 20, 2024 - Fri.Apr 26, 2024

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A Golden Age of Renewables Is Beginning, and California Is Leading the Way

Scientific American

California has hit record-breaking milestones in renewable electricity generation, showing that wind, water and solar are ready to cover our electricity needs

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A Call for Climate Justice at the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights

Union of Concerned Scientists

This week, the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights (IACHR) started to hear testimony at the University of the West Indies , near Bridgetown, Barbados, addressing one of the most pressing global issues of our time: climate change and its implications on human rights. Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) Research Scientist Carly Philips (pictured on the left above) testified on April 24.

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How the US is preparing for a potential bird flu pandemic

New Scientist

As the US grapples with an ongoing bird flu outbreak in dairy cattle, the country’s health agencies are ramping up surveillance efforts and working to develop a vaccine if needed

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Nixon Advisers’ Climate Research Plan: Another Lost Chance on the Road to Crisis

Inside Climate News

A 1971 plan for a global carbon dioxide monitoring network never came to fruition. The proposal is detailed in a document newly unearthed by the National Security Archive. By Marianne Lavelle In 1971, President Richard Nixon’s science advisers proposed a multimillion dollar climate change research project with benefits they said were too “immense” to be quantified, since they involved “ensuring man’s survival,” according to a White House document newly obtained by the nonprofit National Security

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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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How a Cloned Ferret Inspired a DNA Bank for Endangered Species

Scientific American

The birth of a cloned black-footed ferret named Elizabeth Ann, and her two new sisters, has sparked a new pilot program to preserve the tissues of hundreds of endangered species “just in case”

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What Fixed Charges on Your Electric Bill Could Mean for Charging an EV in California

Union of Concerned Scientists

Residential electricity rates for many Californians have increased significantly over the last year, making it more expensive to charge an electric vehicle (EV) at home. It’s still cheaper to recharge an EV than buy gasoline, but those savings have been eroded by surging electric rates. Prompted by a state law, California’s utility regulator has proposed to change the way electricity is billed by adding a fixed monthly charge to all rate plans and making a corresponding reduction to the cost for

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Why is This Sea Cucumber Called a Headless Chicken Monster?

Ocean Conservancy

My favorite creatures in the ocean are the weird ones. Those blobby, slippery, bizarre, alien-looking things that make you wonder “How does that live on our planet with us?” They remind me that the slice of nature I get to see is just a small fraction of the life out there. The Earth is a weird place, and that’s what makes it wonderful. And that’s why it gives me such great pleasure to introduce you to one of these strange and glorious creatures: the swimming sea cucumber, also known as the head

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Hidden Fossil Fuels: Plastic Production Drives Climate Change

NRDC

Study shows that plastic production could be nearly one third of the global carbon budget and emits four times more greenhouse gases than the airline industry.

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More Than a Third of All Americans Live in Communities with ‘Hazardous’ Air, Lung Association Finds

Inside Climate News

In its annual “State of the Air” report, the group noted that while poor air quality is pervasive, communities of color are more than twice as likely to experience the worst impacts. By Victoria St. Martin Within five miles of Kim Gaddy’s home in the South Ward of Newark, N.J., lies the nation’s third-busiest shipping port, thirteenth-busiest airport and roughly a half dozen major roadways.

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Nuclear fusion experiment overcomes two key operating hurdles

New Scientist

Two important barriers to a stable, powerful fusion reaction have been leapt by an experiment in a small tokamak reactor, but we don’t yet know if the technique will work in larger devices

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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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Extrovert or Introvert: Most People Are Actually Ambiverts

Scientific American

Research on personality types in the middle of the extroversion-introversion scale is limited—yet the majority of people fall into this category

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Land sparing outperforms land sharing for Amazonian bird communities regardless of surrounding landscape context

The Applied Ecologist

Benjamin Birch discusses the role of wildlife-friendly habitat in the wider surrounding landscape in promoting farmland diversity. Alongside colleagues, Birch modelled strategies of land sparing and land sharing under different levels of production. Background The conversion of natural habitats to agriculture is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity globally.

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Brazil's Attorney General Urges Investigation of Environmental Progress Founder Michael Shellenberger

Environmental Progress

Statement by Environmental Progress Founder and President Michael Shellenberger: “Brazil's Attorney General has just accused me of having committed a "probable" crime because I published the "Twitter Files - Brazil." It's a monstrous lie. President Lula is persecuting me because I exposed the government's illegal censorship. The Lula Government is spreading disinformation and ridiculous conspiracy theories that are easy to debunk, as I do in the video below.

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Some scientists say insects are conscious – it doesn't settle anything

New Scientist

A group of around 40 scientists signed a declaration calling for formal acknowledgement of consciousness in a range of animals, including insects and fish – but the evidence is still lacking

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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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New Geothermal Technology Could Expand Clean Power Generation

Scientific American

Long confined to regions with volcanic activity, geothermal promises to become a much more versatile energy source thanks to new technologies

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Amos Miller and the Regulation of Raw Milk

National Law Center

Discussions among legislators, public health officials, and consumers persist across the United States as the debate over raw milk sales continues. The post Amos Miller and the Regulation of Raw Milk appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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No change in burning of peatland in Eastern Scotland’s moorlands

The Applied Ecologist

Author Benedict Spracklen used satellite imagery to better understand the impact of prescribed burning of moorland on ecosystem services. Prescribed burning has long played a role in the management of moorland, both in Scotland and across the UK.

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5 extraordinary ideas about the mind and what it means to be conscious

New Scientist

To celebrate the launch of our new event series in the US, kicking off with a masterclass on the brain and consciousness, we have unlocked five incredible long reads

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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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Low-Earth Orbit Faces a Spiraling Debris Threat

Scientific American

Millions of human-made objects travel at high speeds in low-Earth orbit, polluting space and increasing the chance of collision with satellites and other spacecraft

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Five Ways You Can Celebrate Earth Day – All Year Long

Academy of Natural Sciences

Earth Day is a time to reflect on our natural world and our impact on it. But at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, we celebrate Earth Day every day through environmental advocacy, a commitment to sustainability and being an educational resource for Drexel University students and the residents of Philadelphia. Here are five ways you can incorporate the spirit of Earth Day all year long. 1.

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Earth Day Illustrates the Path Toward Climate and Community Resilience

Washington Nature

By Todd Reeve, CEO of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and James Schroeder, Director of Conservation for The Nature Conservancy in Washington Earth Day ignited our collective awareness of challenges facing people and nature, and spurred unparalleled legislative action bringing us cleaner air and water. Five decades later, Washingtonians face an important crossroad: our climate future will be on the ballot this November as Initiative 2117 which would repeal Washington’s most comprehensive

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How to get the right balance of omega-3s and omega-6s in your diet

New Scientist

The balance of omega fatty acids in the food we eat affects our health. But what does the evidence say about claims you should be seeking to reduce omega-6 intake as well as boosting omega-3s?

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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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Biden Kicks Off Earth Week with Solar Funding, Expanding Climate Corps

Scientific American

The Biden administration is marking Earth Week with announcements of solar power funding for lower-income communities, an expansion of the Climate Corps and Clean Air Act rules

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Reduced Snow Cover and Shifting Vegetation Are Disrupting Alpine Ecosystems, Study Finds

Inside Climate News

Climate change is disrupting the nitrogen cycle between some plants and soil microbes, bringing “false springs” during the day that leave plants more vulnerable to frigid nights. By Moriah McDonald Reduced snow cover and vegetation shifts in the Alps, driven, to some degree, by climate change, are leading some mountain ecosystems to struggle to hold onto nutrients that feed vegetation, a new study shows.

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South Mountain Partnership Action Alert: Support Needed For New Michaux State Forest District Resource Center In Franklin County

PA Environment Daily

The South Mountain Partnership is requesting citizens to support the new Resources Management Center proposed for Michaux State Forest District to replace the current District Office in Franklin County. The chosen site is State Forest property that is currently leased to the South Mountain Golf Course. The new RMC will improve services in the South Mountain Conservation Landscape by better serving district forest needs, residents, and visitors.

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Deepfake politicians may have a big influence on India’s elections

New Scientist

Political campaigns are deploying AI-generated deepfake versions of politicians to reach hundreds of millions of eligible voters in India’s 2024 election – the world’s largest ever

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Glow-in-the-Dark Animals May Have Been Around for 540 Million Years

Scientific American

Ancestors of so-called “soft” corals may have developed bioluminescence in the earliest days of deep-ocean living

Ocean 144
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Protecting Biodiversity Means Saving the Bogs (and Peatlands, Swamps, Marshes, Fens…)

NRDC

Wetlands cover just 6 percent of the planet’s land area but provide habitat for 40 percent of wildlife.

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Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Lancaster Gets Early Earth Day Gift: 100 Trees Planted At Dar Corporation Property

PA Environment Daily

Lancaster received an early Earth Day gift of 100 new trees during the weekend. Dr. Zeshan Ismat of Lancaster City, and Dart Corporation employees. planted 100 trees on the company’s property at 110 Pitney Road, Lancaster, Saturday morning. Dr. Ismat received a 2022 Mira Lloyd Dock Partnership Diversity Award from the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership for her conservation and Environmental Justice work in under-represented portions of her community.

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Bowhead whales still harmed from whaling that ended a century ago

New Scientist

Commercial bowhead whaling ended in the early 20th century, but the industry’s lasting effects on the whales’ genetic diversity are leading to declines again

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After Months of Gibberish, Voyager 1 Is Communicating Well Again

Scientific American

NASA scientists spent months coaxing the 46-year-old Voyager 1 spacecraft back into healthy communication

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Let’s Talk About Tarpon

Ocean Conservancy

Nearly every night during our bedtime routine of reading countless books, my kids will ask me, “Why haven’t we met a dinosaur yet?” And, nearly every night, I begrudgingly admit that dinosaurs are extinct, and we probably won’t see one walking down the street anytime soon. But then I got to thinking … are they really extinct? Sure, we don’t share morning commutes with pterodactyls or velociraptors.

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