Sat.Dec 11, 2021 - Fri.Dec 17, 2021

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Perspective: More Attention Needed on Freshwater Biodiversity

Circle of Blue

Freshwater species are dying off and decreasing in abundance. Yet conservation funding centers on lands and oceans. Boats ply the waters of the Mekong River Delta, near Can Tho, Vietnam. Home to about 65 million people across four countries, the lower Mekong is also prized for its diversity of aquatic species. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue. By Stefan Lovgren – December 16, 2021.

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Protecting Earth: If ‘Nature Needs Half,’ What Do People Need?

Yale E360

The campaign to preserve half the Earth’s surface is being criticized for failing to take account of global inequality and human needs. But such protection is essential not just for nature, but also for creating a world that can improve the lives of the poor and disadvantaged. Read more on E360 ?.

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2021 Year in Review: Five Stories of Clean Energy Progress

Union of Concerned Scientists

The end of the year can be a fine time for taking stock, and that’s true in the energy space just as in our personal lives. Lots of stories of clean energy progress caught my eye for 2021. Here are five of them–about renewable energy technologies and markets that seem particularly worthy of note and […].

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Losing Justice Hobbs, Western Water Expert and Valued Mentor

Legal Planet

When former Colorado Supreme Court Justice Gregory J. Hobbs passed away recently, just weeks shy of his 77th birthday, he left a gaping hole in the hearts of many. Not just family and close friends. But people across the Colorado legal community, the broader Western water community, and a far-flung network that includes Berkeley Law staff, faculty, and alumni.

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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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High Costs, Few Customers: Benton Harbor Water Woes Loom for Michigan Cities

Circle of Blue

Rev. Edward Pinkney, a Benton Harbor water activist, is not happy with federal officials’ order for Benton Harbor to study the possibility of consolidating its water system with neighboring communities who, he said, “don’t care about the citizens of Benton Harbor.” (Bridge photo by Kelly House). Kelly House, Bridge Michigan , – December 15, 2021.

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The Twelve Days of Christmas Have Grown More Than 8 Degrees F Warmer in Parts of the U.S.

Yale E360

The Twelve Days of Christmas, which last from December 25 through January 5, have grown warmer in 97 percent of the U.S., according to a new analysis from Climate Central that evaluated temperature trends across 246 locations since 1969. Read more on E360 ?.

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The Renaissance of Energy Law

Legal Planet

Energy law used to be an obscure niche subject. It was devoted to subjects like oil and gas leases, the proper inflation adjustments in utility rates, and depreciation schedules for power plant. Utilities were famously set in their ways, using nineteenth century technologies to produce and deliver their products. Only specialists really paid much attention.

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This Central Valley Town Has a Carcinogen in its Water. Why Are Solutions So Slow?

Circle of Blue

This article was produced by SJV Water, the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ). This piece is part of a collaboration that includes the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), California Health Report, Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, Circle of Blue, Colorado Public Radio, Columbia Insight, The Counter, High Country News, New Mexico In Depth and SJV Water.

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California Readies Launch of Largest Food Waste Recycling Program in the U.S.

Yale E360

Seeking to cut down on methane pollution from organic waste, California is launching a statewide food waste recycling program in January, the largest such initiative in the United States, the Los Angeles Times reported. Read more on E360 ?.

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Illinois Can Still Say “Knope” to Pawnee Gas Plant

Union of Concerned Scientists

The proposed methane gas plant makes it clear our fight against fossil fuel interests is not over.

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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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Human brain cells in a dish learn to play Pong faster than an AI

New Scientist

Hundreds of thousands of brain cells in a dish are being taught to play Pong by responding to pulses of electricity – and can improve their performance more quickly than an AI can

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What’s Up With Water – December 13, 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. This is Eileen Wray-McCann. In the Middle East, water scarcity could cause an international legal confrontation. Iraqi water officials say they want to sue their neighbor, Iran. They allege that Iran is reducing water flows to a tributary of the Tigris River.

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Entangling a live tardigrade, radiation warning on anti-5G accessories

Physics World

Tardigrades are tiny organisms that can survive extreme environments including being chilled to near absolute zero. At these temperatures quantum effects such as entanglement become dominant, so perhaps it is not surprising that a team of physicists has used a chilled tardigrade to create an entangled qubit. According to a preprint on the arXiv server, the team cooled a tardigrade to below 10 mK and then used it as the dielectric in a capacitor that itself was part of a superconducting transmon

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Is California About to Give Up the Driver’s Seat on Electric Vehicles?

Union of Concerned Scientists

A rapid transition to zero-emissions vehicles is a critical solution to address the largest source of climate pollution in California.

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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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We’ve seen our galaxy’s huge black hole more clearly than ever before

New Scientist

Astronomers have observed Sagittarius A* – the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy – closer than ever before, and Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity still holds up

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An Ancient Greek Astronomical Calculation Machine Reveals New Secrets

Scientific American

Scientists have a new understanding of the mysterious Antikythera mechanism that challenges assumptions about ancient technology. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Brain stimulation delivers pain relief without adverse side effects

Physics World

Worldwide, 1.5 billion people live with chronic pain, with greater prevalence among adults living in poverty, women and the elderly. In the US alone, chronic pain costs an estimated $560–635 billion per year in direct medical costs, lost productivity and disability programmes. Treatment for pain remains a major scientific and clinical challenge: the current portfolio of analgesic drugs such as opioids can relieve pain, but they also have immediate side effects on sensory and mental function and

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Climate Experts at UCLA Sued by Fossil Fuel Industry Front Group

Union of Concerned Scientists

An effort to use open-records laws to bully and intimidate scientists.

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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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Why You’re Seeing Hummingbirds in Winter

Cool Green Science

You’re not seeing things. Hummingbirds are showing up at more feeders in winter. The post Why You’re Seeing Hummingbirds in Winter appeared first on Cool Green Science.

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Dr. Oz Shouldn't Be a Senator--or a Doctor

Scientific American

His brand of misinformation has already tarnished medicine. In the halls of Congress, he’d do much worse. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Evidence grows for tetraneutrons as hypothetical clusters are glimpsed in Germany

Physics World

The tetraneutron, a hypothetical cluster of four bound neutrons, has been glimpsed by physicists in Germany. Although the measurement is well below the statistical significance required for a discovery, the observation is the latest possible sighting of the tetraneutron in the past two decades. Confirming the existence of the tetraneutron would shake-up our understanding of the forces that bind nuclei together and could also provide insights into neutron stars.

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California Energy: A 2021 Review and a Look Ahead

Union of Concerned Scientists

Utilities initiated new programs to help the grid cope with high demand. Will they be enough?

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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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Global Warming Can Set The Stage for Deadly Tornadoes

Inside Climate News

The latest IPCC science report affirmed an increase in U.S. tornado clusters. By Bob Berwyn Adding a grim exclamation point to a year of deadly climate extremes, the early December tornadoes that killed at least 90 people in the Southeast were some of the most intense storms on record so late in the year.

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The Risk of Vaccinated COVID Transmission Is Not Low

Scientific American

After my son got sick, I dived into the data, and it turns out vaccinated people can and do spread COVID. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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How to prepare for a career in the emerging quantum-technology industry

Physics World

Whether it’s lasers, nuclear power, computing or IT, one of the most exciting aspects of living through the dawn of rapidly evolving technology is that it creates a lot of jobs. In fact, new industries often open up completely new roles that didn’t exist before, offering fresh career opportunities for those willing to take the plunge. Right now, there’s no better example of a burgeoning area than quantum technology and, fortunately for physicists, this is an area they are a perfect fit for.

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What Science Says about Tragic Early December Tornado Outbreak

Union of Concerned Scientists

Warming weather creates more favorable conditions for tornadoes.

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What Are the 4 Calling Birds? Probably Not What You Think.

Cool Green Science

Those four birds in the holiday song may not actually be “calling.”. The post What Are the 4 Calling Birds? Probably Not What You Think. appeared first on Cool Green Science.

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Why Is Omicron So Contagious?

Scientific American

The new coronavirus variant may be better than other versions at avoiding human immune defenses—but that ability may change in different countries. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Laser pulses light the way towards killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Physics World

Safe sterilization: An ultrashort pulse of violet visible light may provide an alternative method for inactivating otherwise difficult-to-kill pathogens without harming human cells. (Courtesy: Michael Worful). The efficacy of conventional antibiotic treatments has been on the decline for years owing to their excessive use. Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern and now poses one of the biggest threats to global health.

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Like Ebenezer Scrooge, Tyson Foods Gets a Visit from the Ghosts of Christmas

Union of Concerned Scientists

Will Tyson Foods realize the true meaning of Christmas?

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NSO iPhone malware builds a computer inside your phone to steal data

New Scientist

An incredibly sophisticated piece of malware developed by the Israeli tech firm NSO Group works by creating an entirely separate computer inside the memory of an iPhone, allowing attackers to snoop and steal data

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Cryptic floral colouration: beyond human vision.

The Applied Ecologist

This blog is part of our colourful countdown to the holiday season where we’re celebrating the diversity and beauty of the natural world. In this post, Caroline Dong of Tulane University unearths the diverse world of floral colouration and what we have yet to discover in these decorative but mysterious plants. Floral colouration can be a useful and predictable trait.

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