Sat.Mar 02, 2024 - Fri.Mar 08, 2024

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In Mongolia, a Killer Winter Is Ravaging Herds and a Way of Life

Yale E360

Mongolia’s nomadic herders are facing a savage “dzud” winter, with more than 2 million livestock frozen to death so far. Scientists say this lethal phenomenon — extreme cold and heavy snow following summer drought — is occurring more frequently and is linked to climate change.

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EVs Are at a Turning Point, It May Not Be What You Think

Union of Concerned Scientists

There’s been a lot of nay-saying around EVs lately, including, amongst other things, worries that EV sales are stalling out now that all the early adopters have already made the switch and mainstream buyers aren’t ready to dive in. I wouldn’t blame you if you thought nobody was buying EVs or that sales were about to plummet. While there are some near term headwinds, I’ve never had as much confidence in the ability to zero out tailpipe emissions from our cars and trucks.

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More solar shenanigans*

Real Climate

Going back a few months, I spent a bit of time pointing out the strategy and nonsense in the various Willie Soon and company’s efforts to blame current warming on solar activity. I specifically pointed out their cultish devotion to a single solar activity reconstruction (Hoyt and Schatten, 1993) (HS93); with an update from Scaffeta (2023) , and their increasingly elaborate efforts to create temperature series that correlate to it.

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Harsh Result in a Drilling Contract Dispute

Energy & the Law

Frontier Drilling, LLC v. XTO Energy , Inc. has the indicia of an inequitable result, but as I remind my wife every time she objects to what she deems to be an outrageous jury verdict, we don’t know all the facts and the court’s gotta follow the law, so let’s not judge. The facts Drilling contractor Frontier and operator XTO were parties to a drilling contract that was amended several times by negotiations via oral and/or email communications and then written agreements memorializing the discuss

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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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As Flooding Increases on the Mississippi, Forests Are Drowning

Yale E360

Ever-worsening floods are killing trees at an increasing rate along the upper Mississippi River, and invasive grasses are taking over. The Army Corps of Engineers has launched a project to boost both tree density and diversity, and to improve habitat for fish and waterfowl, too.

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Wildfire Threat to Texas Nuclear Weapons Facility Highlights Intersecting Risks

Union of Concerned Scientists

Last week, Texas’s Windy Deuce Fire, one of several large fires that broke out in the state’s panhandle region, passed within a few miles of a nuclear weapons facility and necessitated an emergency evacuation of nonessential employees. The immediate threat of wildfire to the Pantex nuclear facility, at which nuclear weapons are assembled and disassembled, has passed for now.

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Salmon farms are increasingly being hit by mass die-offs

New Scientist

Mass mortality events at salmon farms have been getting more frequent since 2011, sometimes killing millions of fish at once, with causes including heatwaves and poor living conditions

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Great Barrier Reef Sees Mass Bleaching as Ocean Temperatures Hit Record High

Yale E360

Beset by severe heat throughout the Australian summer, the Great Barrier Reef is undergoing a mass bleaching, its fifth in eight years.

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Three Things from Oppenheimer that are Happening Again

Union of Concerned Scientists

Oppenheimer documents humanity’s transition into the nuclear age through the eyes of Robert Oppenheimer, the “ father of the atomic bomb.” While it is a faithful rendition of a critical chapter of nuclear history, what is most striking about the film is how that history is repeating itself. 1. The United States is once again preparing to run a nuclear arms race, this time against two adversaries at once.

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Four Stock Exchanges Collaborate to Develop the ASEAN-Interconnected Sustainability Ecosystem

Clean Energy Law

The stock exchanges of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore have partnered to advance sustainability in ASEAN through the development of an interregional ESG ecosystem. By Paul A. Davies , Farhana Sharmeen , Michael D. Green , James Bee , and Kevin Mak On February 15, 2024, Bursa Malaysia Berhad (Bursa Malaysia), Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), and Singapore Exchange (SGX Group) released a joint statement announcing their collaboration on the develop

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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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Walking 10,000 steps a day really does seem to make us healthier

New Scientist

The much-touted advice to take 10,000 steps a day for our health has been accused of lacking evidence, but new research suggests that hitting this target has serious benefits

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Great Lakes Ice Cover Hits New Lows

Yale E360

On the North American Great Lakes, ice cover usually peaks in late February or early March. But currently, the lakes are nearly ice-free.

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The Future of Resilient Agricultural Communities in California Is Alive in Allensworth

Union of Concerned Scientists

This blog post was cowritten with Dezaraye Bagalayos, Laurie Galvagna, Kayode Kadara, Kinah Hutson, and Jose Armando Munguia, and revised by other members of the Allensworth Progressive Association team and community leaders. Over the next 15 years, California will have to repurpose about 1 million acres of cropland, most of it out of the 5.5 million irrigated acres in the San Joaquin Valley.

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Why this First Nation is Right to Sue the Alberta Energy Regulator over Last Year’s Toxic Tailings Leak

Enviromental Defense

Last year, one of Imperial Oil’s mines in the tar sands leaked toxic industrial waste into the surrounding environment. Instead of informing downstream communities, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) helped Imperial cover up the spill for over nine months. Now the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) – one of the downstream Indigenous nations impacted by the toxic spill – is taking the AER to court.

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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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US Army tests AI chatbots as battle planners in a war game simulation

New Scientist

Researchers in the US Army are experimenting with commercial AI chatbots as battlefield advisers in war game simulations – but experts caution that such AI should not be used in high-stakes situations

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Scientists Vote Down Proposal to Declare Anthropocene Has Begun

Yale E360

For more than a decade, scientists have been mulling whether the Earth had entered a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, marked by the profound impact humans have had on the planet. Today, a committee of experts has reportedly decided on the matter.

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El futuro de las comunidades agrícolas resilientes vive en Allensworth

Union of Concerned Scientists

Este blog ha sido escrito en colaboración con Dezaraye Bagalayos, Laurie Galvagna, Kayode Kadara, Kinah Hutson, y José Armando Munguía, y revisado por miembros de la Allensworth Progressive Association y líderes comunitarios. En los próximos 15 años, California tendrá que reusar aproximadamente 1 millón de acres de tierras de cultivo, la mayoría en los 5,5 millones de acres irrigados (2.2 millones de hectáreas) en el Valle de San Joaquín.

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A New EDF-Harvard Satellite Will Monitor Methane Emissions From Oil and Gas Production Worldwide

Inside Climate News

MethaneSAT, a partnership between the Environmental Defense Fund, Harvard University and others seeks to combat climate change through enhanced greenhouse gas emissions monitoring. By Phil McKenna A satellite that could soon play a key role in combating climate change by monitoring methane emissions entered Earth’s orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in southern California on Monday.

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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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D-Wave says its quantum computers can solve otherwise impossible tasks

New Scientist

Quantum computing firm D-Wave says its machines are the first to achieve "computational supremacy" by solving a practically useful problem that would otherwise take millions of years on an ordinary supercomputer

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What Americans Actually Think About Plastic Pollution

Ocean Conservancy

This blog was written by Hannah De Frond, Ocean Conservancy Consultant and International Trash Trap Network Coordinator. When speaking with friends and family about my work, I realize that many of the everyday topics I consistently think and talk about are issues that others don’t often consider. A recent example of this followed the publication of Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto’s research paper about microplastics in commonly consumed protein products.

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How Bad Ballot Design Can Impact Election Outcomes—And What We Can Do 

Union of Concerned Scientists

Before going to my polling place to vote in the November 2023 local elections, I searched online to find a sample ballot. After clicking around, I found one on a non-government site and reviewed the list of contests and ballot measures. I had to read the instructions a few times to clearly understand how many candidates I should select in each contest.

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In Florida, Skyrocketing Insurance Rates Test Resolve of Homeowners in Risky Areas

Inside Climate News

Research shows the soaring costs hint at widespread, unpriced risk as the global climate warms, with states like California, Florida and Louisiana hit hardest. By Amy Green ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla.—For most of his life, Cory Infinger has lived down a hill and along a bend in the Little Wekiva River, a gentle stream meandering northwest of Orlando. During Hurricane Ian, in September 2022, the stream swelled, inundating the homes of his family and his neighbors and also the street where they live,

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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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AI chatbots use racist stereotypes even after anti-racism training

New Scientist

Large language models still demonstrate racial prejudice against speakers of African American English, despite the safety guard rails implemented by tech companies such as OpenAI

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What is a Neon Flying Squid?

Ocean Conservancy

The natural wonders of our world tend to keep us on our toes. Just when we think we’ve seen it all, there’s something new and incredibly remarkable to discover. The ocean is no exception to this status quo. In fact, the ocean has shown us, time and time again, just how truly fascinating, delightfully unique and sometimes strange its inhabitants are.

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New X-Ray Map of Cosmic Megastructures Unravels Subatomic Mysteries

Scientific American

A new catalog of more than 12,000 galaxy clusters is helping scientists better understand the universe’s clumpiness, dark energy and some of the smallest particles in the cosmos: neutrinos

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New Research Shows Emissions From Cars and Power Plants Can Hinder Insects’ Search for the Plants They Pollinate

Inside Climate News

What happens when a rose doesn’t smell as sweet? By Moriah McDonald The level of air pollution in many cities is great enough to shorten the distance from which insects can smell the flowers they need to pollinate, according to recent research.

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Engineers are diverting Mississippi river to restore Louisiana’s coast

New Scientist

South of New Orleans, a project to divert the Mississippi river could restore ecosystems destroyed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and build new land to protect against sea level rise

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Five Things to Watch for in Biden’s State of the Union Address If You Care About the Climate Crisis

NRDC

This is an important moment to rally the country around the climate progress of the past three years—and show the way to build on those gains going forward.

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We Need to Investigate UFOs. But Without the Distraction of Conspiracy Theories

Scientific American

A former government official calls for investigating unidentified anomalous phenomena without succumbing to conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials

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A decadal study reveals that restoration guided by an umbrella species does not reach target levels

The Applied Ecologist

Author Albin Larsson Ekström discusses how their latest research evaluates the decadal effects of restoration aimed at the white-backed woodpecker on the biodiversity of saproxylic beetles. The study suggests that, for restoration to be successful, both continuous and repeated restoration efforts are needed.

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Bumblebees show each other how to solve complex puzzles

New Scientist

Puzzles that bumblebees cannot solve on their own can be cracked with help from another bee, adding to research on the transmission of culture among insects

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DEP Imposed $422,365 In Penalties On 14 Conventional Oil & Gas Well Operators In 2023 For Abandoning Wells, Spills, Venting Gas; 93 Operators Cited For Abandoning 271 Wells

PA Environment Daily

Information provided by the Department of Environmental Protection in response to a Right To Know request shows DEP took enforcement action against 14 conventional oil and gas well operators that resulted in collecting $422,365 in penalties and bond forfeitures in 2023. DEP took higher level enforcement actions against 15 other conventional operators for violations, including issuing Field Orders, Administrative Orders and Compliance Orders and obtaining Court Orders, for spills, illegal disposa

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