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

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Global Power Sector Emissions Headed for Decline

Yale E360

⁠The power sector is the biggest source of emissions globally, but the rapid growth of wind, solar, and nuclear generation are at last pushing power sector emissions into decline, analysts say.

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Thousands of Emperor Penguins Discovered by Satellite

Yale E360

A careful study of satellite imagery has revealed four previously unknown colonies of emperor penguins along the edges of Antarctica, a promising discovery in a region increasingly endangered by climate change.

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An Opportunity to Reduce Water Pollution from Slaughterhouses

Union of Concerned Scientists

Industrial meat and poultry slaughterhouses dump millions of pounds of pollutants into the nation’s waters every year. The federal Clean Water Act directs the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set and enforce the rules that regulate this pollution. But the current rules, which were enacted two decades ago, are woefully inadequate at curbing the environmental and human impacts of this dirty water deluge.

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Evaluating Voluntary Agreements in the Bay-Delta Watershed

Legal Planet

Updates to flow and other regulatory requirements for California’s Bay-Delta watershed are long overdue. For much of the last 12 years, state political leadership has prioritized efforts to develop voluntary agreements (VAs) with water users over completing updates to the watershed’s water quality standards. Now the State Water Resources Control Board has restarted the regulatory process and is considering what role proposed VAs will play in it.

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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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Is a Merger a “Transfer of Leases”?

Energy & the Law

In Texas, no. Read on to learn why. In Nortex Minerals LP v. Blackbeard Operating LLC et al , the question was the meaning of this limited assignment provision in the “Alliance Leases”, oil and gas leases covering 27,000 acres of the Alliance Airport in Tarrant County: Except as provided herein, Lessee may not assign or otherwise transfer an interest in this Lease without prior written consent of Lessor, which consent may be granted or denied in the sole and absolute discretion [,] and without s

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Natural Hydrogen: A Potential Clean Energy Source Beneath Our Feet

Yale E360

As studies show far more natural hydrogen underground than believed, well-funded efforts to drill for the gas are underway around the globe. Boosters see a plentiful green replacement for fossil fuels, but skeptics say its large-scale use may not be practical or cost-effective.

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Consciousness Is a Continuum, and Scientists Are Starting to Measure It

Scientific American

A new technique helps anesthesiologists track changes in states of consciousness

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Mysterious black hole jets may be the source of powerful cosmic rays

New Scientist

Observations of the microquasar SS 433 provide clues to how these small black holes accelerate electrons to produce high-energy jets

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How DNA from Museums Is Helping Boost Species on the Brink

Yale E360

Historical and ancient DNA from museum specimens is enabling scientists to establish baselines of genetic diversity for species now in decline. Biologists are using that information to decide how best to protect imperiled wildlife, from Galápagos tortoises to African rhinos.

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The USDA’s Climate Hubs Could Help Farmers Adapt to Extreme Weather

Union of Concerned Scientists

After months of delay, it appears possible (though far from guaranteed!) that the food and farm bill might finally begin moving forward in Congress. This critical legislation was originally expected to be signed into law by the fall of 2023, but a chaotic schedule—and an often dysfunctional Congress—got in the way. Instead of passing a new food and farm bill for the first time since 2018, Congress instead approved a one-year extension last fall and punted the task of crafting an updated bill to

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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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Cleaning Water Naturally the Ancient Maya Way

Scientific American

The ancestral Maya lived in better harmony with the environment and kept water clean naturally.

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Why is the US still in such poor health, despite its wealth?

New Scientist

A decade ago, a study showed that the US had the lowest life expectancy among high-income countries.

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Russia's War Has Left a Huge Gap in Arctic Research

Yale E360

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Western scientists have lost access to information from Russian research stations in the Arctic, leaving a critical gap in the data from the rapidly warming region.

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The IPCC and the Need for Actionable Science

Union of Concerned Scientists

The 60th session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded on Friday, culminating in a marathon 26-hour final session that underscored the urgency and complexity of global climate discussions. As I outlined in my day-one blog , the opening session of the 7 th assessment of the IPCC (AR7) last week in Istanbul aimed to address four key questions, but many of these were deferred to the next session as delegates engaged in rigorous debate about what reports they should produ

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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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AI Survey Exaggerates Apocalyptic Risks

Scientific American

A speculative survey about AI’s future may have been biased toward an alarmist perspective

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Learning piano triggers complex changes to your brain's activity

New Scientist

Learning to play the piano causes various changes in activity in areas of the brain involved in memory, movement and processing sensory information

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International Community Wants Biden to Act on LNG

NRDC

Allies from key countries around the world came out resoundingly in support of the Biden administration's decision to pause permitting of new liquefied natural gas export facilities.

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Pieces of Federal EV Charging Vision Coming Together

Union of Concerned Scientists

Two key pieces of Federal support for electric vehicle (EV) charging are coming into place to accelerate EV infrastructure installation for all kinds of vehicles. The first is the announcement of Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program awards—$623 million representing the first two years of the program’s budget—which provides funding for EV charging and other alternative fueling stations along highway corridors and in communities.

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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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Renewable Power Set to Surpass Coal Globally by 2025

Scientific American

Renewable energy will surpass coal power by 2025 and, with nuclear energy, will account for nearly half the world’s power generation by 2026, the International Energy Agency forecasts

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Plagues that shook the Roman Empire linked to cold, dry periods

New Scientist

A study reconstructing the climate of Italy during the Roman Empire based on marine sediments shows that three pandemics coincided with cooler, drier conditions

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Groundwater Levels Around the World Are Dropping Quickly, Often at Accelerating Rates

Inside Climate News

Rapid declines are most common in aquifers under croplands in drier regions, including California, the most extensive analysis of groundwater trends so far shows. By Liza Gross Groundwater supplies are dwindling in aquifers around the world, a groundbreaking new study found, with the rates of decline accelerating over the past four decades in nearly a third of aquifers studied.

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This Leap Year, Some Clean Energy Leaps to Watch For

Union of Concerned Scientists

When it comes to the transition to clean energy, 2023 was quite a year for progress: record-breaking amounts of solar installed in the United States, a solid drop in carbon emissions from the US power sector, more than one million electric vehicles sold in the country for the first time, “breakneck” growth in renewable energy globally, and more. But the fact that 2024 is a leap year seems apt for a period in which the US clean energy market seems poised to leap to a whole new level, in exciting

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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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Babies Exposed to COVID in the Womb Are More Likely to Suffer Breathing Problems

Scientific American

Infants born to people who had COVID while pregnant are at a higher risk of respiratory distress, but vaccination greatly lowers the risk

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Traces of ancient life reveal a 3.4-billion-year-old ecosystem

New Scientist

Chemical analysis of rocks found in South Africa shows that ancient microorganisms sustained themselves in a variety of ways, adding to evidence for an early origin of life on Earth

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Another Hot, Dry Summer May Push Parts of Texas to the Brink

Inside Climate News

Some areas are starting the year with low water reserves, and forecasters don’t expect substantial relief from the weather. By Dylan Baddour Two consecutive summers of brutal heat and drought have left some parts of Texas with notably low water supplies going into 2024.

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Liquefied Natural Gas has Limited Impact in Displacing Coal Emissions

NRDC

The fossil fuel industry is selling a false narrative that liquefied natural gas (LNG) expansion is a “climate solution” because it displaces coal consumption globally. This claim doesn’t stand up against the facts. U.S. LNG has no or very limited.

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Inside the Crime Rings Trafficking Sand

Scientific American

Organized crime is mining sand from rivers and coasts to feed demand worldwide, ruining ecosystems and communities. Can it be stopped?

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Writing things down may help you remember information more than typing

New Scientist

Writing words down increases connectivity linked to memory and learning between different areas of the brain, with the same not being true when things are typed out on a computer

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Aridity Could Dry Up Southwestern Mine Proposals

Inside Climate News

Critical minerals for the clean energy transition are abundant in the Southwest, but the dozens of mines proposed to access them will require vast sums of water, something in short supply in the desert. By Wyatt Myskow PHOENIX—One by one, leaders from across Arizona gave speeches touting the importance of water conservation at Phoenix City Hall as they celebrated the announcement of voluntary agreements to preserve the declining Colorado River in November.

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Fossilized Finances: Oil and Gas Subsidies in the Permian Basin

NRDC

A new NRDC report shows how, despite the need to curb fossil fuel production, outdated tax giveaways incentivize further extraction in the country's largest oil and gas region.

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Lions Are Changing Their Hunting Strategy because of Ant Invasion

Scientific American

Big-headed ants are invading new territories in Kenya—and the consequences are rippling through the whole ecosystem, scientists have found

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See what the world looks like through the eyes of different animals

New Scientist

A camera can recreate how animals see the world through both visible and ultraviolet light

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