Sat.Jan 06, 2024 - Fri.Jan 12, 2024

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Mind the Gaps: How the UN Climate Plan Fails to Follow the Science

Yale E360

The U.N. climate conference in Dubai agreed on a plan to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees C and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. But researchers are warning that these pledges are not grounded in sound science and will fail to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel. Charts and Graphs Included

Union of Concerned Scientists

Back in 2016 I wrote a long post about biodiesel , explaining what it is made from (mostly vegetable oil) and arguing that EPA should show restraint in setting targets for biodiesel because of the limited availability oils and fats and the harmful consequences of drawing too heavily from these limited sources. The world has changed in many ways since 2016, but the large-scale diversion of vegetable oil from food to fuel remains a bad idea.

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Not just another dot on the graph?

Real Climate

As the climate monitoring groups add an additional dot to their graphs this week, there is some disquiet among people paying attention about just how extraordinary 2023 really was. First, it’s been obvious for months that 2023 would be a record year – in temperatures (at the surface, troposphere and in the ocean), in Antarctic sea ice, in the number of big climate disasters etc.

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PSA Well Permit Dispute Makes its Way to the Texas Supreme Court

Energy & the Law

Contacted at his seaside villa, Captain Renault said he was shocked that Elsie and Adrian Opiela are asking the Texas Supreme Court to review questions surrounding the Railroad Commission’s approval of a drilling permit for a Production Sharing Agreement well. The Commission’s “65% Rule” for multi-tract horizontal wells is invalid because the Commission does not have the authority to make such a rule.

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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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The Beleaguered Whitebark Pine Is in Trouble. Can It Be Saved?

Yale E360

Once common in the West, whitebark pine is being wiped out by a deadly fungus, ravaging beetles, and climate change. Scientists hope advances in gene sequencing and a recent federal listing as threatened will speed the hunt for trees that can be replanted and seed the future.

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Reliance on Gas Power Plants Fuels Inequity

Union of Concerned Scientists

There are almost 2,000 gas power plants and approximately two million miles of gas pipelines running across the United States. While this sprawling infrastructure currently plays a large role in keeping the power grid humming, it is also inextricably linked to disproportionate harms on communities of color and low-income communities. Gas infrastructure is polluting the air, water, and land with cumulative effects that are worsening the health and livelihoods of already marginalized groups.

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Thousands of U.S. Cities Could Become Virtual Ghost Towns by 2100

Scientific American

These projected findings about depopulation in U.S.

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Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Fell in Half Last Year

Yale E360

Forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon was down 50 percent, year on year, in 2023, according to government figures.

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La poca fiabilidad de las centrales eléctricas de gas: tres cosas que debes saber

Union of Concerned Scientists

Los Estados Unidos ha visto avances impresionantes en el desarrollo de la energía limpia en los años recientes. En 2022, más del 22 por ciento de la electricidad en el país se generó con fuentes renovables como el viento, el sol y el agua, casi el doble de su contribución en 2012. Sin embargo, las centrales eléctricas que usan como combustible el gas metano (tradicionalmente conocido como gas natural) siguen siendo hoy una gran parte del suministro de electricidad en los Estados Unidos.

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Guinness yeasts are genetically unique among Irish beers

New Scientist

The Guinness brewery has kept a record of the yeast strains it has used going back to 1903 – a genetic analysis shows these are distinct from those used to brew other Irish beers

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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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Enigmatic Dinosaur Skull Sparks Debate over Tyrannosaur Evolution

Scientific American

A dinosaur skull first discovered in the 1980s was originally catalogued as a T. rex.

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Ten Curious New Plants and Fungi Recorded in 2023

Yale E360

As the planet warms and extinctions mount, researchers are racing to catalog the vast array of life on Earth before species disappear. This year, researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, recorded 89 new species of plant and fungi across the globe, from the rocky edges of Antarctica to a dormant volcano in Indonesia.

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More Than 900 Widely Used Chemicals May Increase Breast Cancer Risk

Inside Climate News

Ninety percent of the chemicals identified as potential breast carcinogens in a new study are found in everyday products in homes and workplaces. By Liza Gross More than 900 chemicals in widespread use could be increasing breast cancer risk, scientists reported in a peer-reviewed study published today.

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Ancient cities discovered in the Amazon are the largest yet found

New Scientist

A mysterious civilisation built a network of cities and roads in the Amazon between 3000 and 1500 years ago, and then disappeared

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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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It Turns Out We Were Born To Groove

Scientific American

The evolution of beat perception likely unfolded gradually among primates, reaching its pinnacle in humans

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Global EV Sales Headed for New High in 2024

Yale E360

Analysts project another record year for sales of electric vehicles, driven largely by surging demand in China, the biggest market for battery-powered cars.

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Once Known for Its Pollution, Pittsburgh Becomes a Poster Child for Climate Consciousness

Inside Climate News

The National Climate Assessment shines a light on the city’s “innovative” plans to curb flooding based on projections for heavier, climate-amplified precipitation. By Jon Hurdle The City of Pittsburgh’s incorporation of climate-change projections into its stormwater-control regulations have been highlighted by the latest National Climate Assessment as an example of how a city can prepare itself for the bigger, more frequent rain storms produced by the changing climate.

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Microturbines can generate electricity from drinking water pipes

New Scientist

Water pipes offer a largely untapped source of renewable electricity that could provide 1.

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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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Coast Redwoods Are Enduring, Adaptable Marvels

Scientific American

Redwoods, like all trees, are engineered marvels that offer life lessons about adapting over time

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Caution: Killer Cone Snails

Ocean Conservancy

If you’ve ever been to an amusement park, you’ve probably heard or read the phrase, “Keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times.” While our planet is full of magical, mesmerizing and often enticing creatures, the same “look, don’t touch!” rule applies when visiting and exploring the beach, ocean or any body of water. And this is especially true for the cone snail—one of the most venomous animals on Earth.

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Diet for a Sick Planet: Studies Find More Plastic in Our Food and Bottled Water

Inside Climate News

Researchers find we can now wash down the microplastics in our tofu, or steak, with a much larger quantity of nanoplastics in bottled water than previously known. By James Bruggers If we are what we eat, there’s growing evidence to help explain how nanoplastics and microplastics are in our blood, in our intestines and in some of our organs.

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The sun could contain a tiny black hole that formed in the big bang

New Scientist

Black holes may be hiding within stars and their extra mass could help explain odd gravitational effects in the universe ascribed to dark matter

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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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Ancient DNA Reveals Origins of Multiple Sclerosis in Europe

Scientific American

A huge cache of ancient genomes spanning tens of thousands of years reveals the roots of traits in modern Europeans

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The Energy Policy and Conservation Act – Still – Preempts Berkeley’s Ban on New Natural Gas Connections

Law and Environment

Last week, the 9 th Circuit voted against rehearing en banc its decision from last April finding the City of Berkeley’s ban on natural gas connections in new construction to be preempted by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Judge Friedland, joined by seven other judges (and three senior judges!) dissented from the denial, writing a lengthy opinion fairly explicitly directed at judges from other Courts of Appeal that might hear cases addressing similar bans.

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New Research Explores a Restorative Climate Path for the Earth

Inside Climate News

Existing green growth policies are leading nowhere fast, so scientists say it’s worth exploring alternatives like degrowth to stay within planetary boundaries. By Bob Berwyn With Earth’s average annual temperature speeding toward 1.5 degrees Celsius faster than expected and global climate policy on a treadmill , an increasing number of researchers say it’s time to consider a “restorative pathway” to avoid the worst ecological and social outcomes of global warming.

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AI comes up with battery design that uses 70 per cent less lithium

New Scientist

Researchers used AI to design a new material that they used to build a working battery – it requires up to 70 percent less lithium than some competing designs.

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What to Know About the New COVID Variant JN.1

Scientific American

A new SARS-CoV-2 variant is behind the latest surge in infections this winter, but it doesn't appear to cause more severe disease

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European Reporting Standards Published in the Official Journal of the EU

Clean Energy Law

For in scope companies, disclosures may be required as early as the reporting period for the 2024 financial year. By Paul A. Davies , Michael D. Green , and James Bee On 22 December 2023, the Commission Delegated Regulation specifying the first set of European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (EU). [1] The ESRS apply from 1 January 2024, for financial years beginning on or after that date.

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How the Dire Health Implications of Climate Change Are Unfolding Globally

Inside Climate News

“The climate crisis is a health crisis.” Interview by Aynsley O’Neill, “Living on Earth” From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine , an interview by producer Aynsley O’Neill with Dr. Vanessa Kerry, the CEO of Seed Global Health and the World Health Organization special envoy for climate change and health.

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Mysterious radio burst came from group of galaxies in distant universe

New Scientist

The Hubble Space Telescope has pinpointed the origin of the most distant known fast radio burst, which hit our planet in 2022

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AI Safety Research Only Enables the Dangers of Runaway Superintelligence

Scientific American

AI will become inscrutable and uncontrollable.

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Key Concepts in Ecology: Life and the physical environment 

The Applied Ecologist

This blog post on ‘Life and the physical environment’ is part of the BES ‘Key Concepts in Ecology’ series, designed to help ecologists in learning the key topics in ecology!