March, 2025

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We need NOAA now more than ever

Real Climate

Guest commentary by Robert Hart, Kerry Emanuel , & Lance Bosart The National Weather Service (NWS) and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), delivers remarkable value to the taxpayers. This efficiency can be demonstrated by its enormous return on investment. For example, the NWS costs only several dollars per citizen to operate each year, yet results in an estimated 10-100 times larger financial return that includes: improved citizen preparedness, imp

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Why I Don’t Buy Data Centers’ Claims They Can Leapfrog Over Utilities 

Union of Concerned Scientists

In the rush to integrate artificial intelligence into the economy, fast-moving information technology companies are running into a problem: slow-moving electric utilities. In more ways than one, the electricity supply so vital to running a data center simply doesnt respond the way Silicon Valley and big investors want. Broadly speaking, developers of data centers, which house the computers and servers that run AI tasks, are looking for three things: places to build, electricity to buy, and physi

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Five Reasons Renewable Energy Developers are Losing Confidence in Ontario

Enviromental Defense

In 2024, renewable energy developers had all the right reasons to be optimistic about the prospect of building solar and wind installations in Ontario: Energy and Electrification Minister Stephen Lecce touted the upcoming power purchase as being technology agnostic with a focus on the lowest cost resources” The last procurement under the former Minister of Energy revealed that gas is expensive: battery storage beat out gas on price by a wide margin.

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What’s Up With Water – March 5, 2018

Circle of Blue

Transcripts Whats Up With Water for March 5, 2018 Im Eileen Wray-McCann, for Circle of Blue, and heres Whats up with Water, a condensation of the worlds water news. Residents of Cape Town continue to forestall Day Zero with an extreme conservation strategy. Day Zero, the projected date water runs out for most homes and businesses in the city, is holding at July 9th.

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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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Banking and Exchange Programs to Mitigate Vehicle Miles Traveled

Legal Planet

The 1950s has been called the decade of the American Dream. The United States economy grew by 37 percent, and homeownership surged as suburban housesequipped with their white picket fences sold like hotcakes. But this American Dream has come at a steep cost. Lets fast forward to today; more than half a century of government housing policy favoring sprawling, car-dependent development has spawned long commutes, increased exposure to air pollution, and segregated communities.

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Carbon Dioxide Levels Highest in 800,000 Years

Yale E360

Temperatures and carbon dioxide levels hit new highs last year, according to a U.N. report detailing the dire state of the global climate.

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The User-Pay Myth: We ALL Pay for Our Roads, Not Just Drivers

Union of Concerned Scientists

Contrary to popular belief, we do not have a user-pay model today for our infrastructure and have not for some decades. And that might not be a problem. Yet in one of his first official acts as Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Sean Duffy delineated a set of principles governing DOT funding (to the extent there is any legal discretion).

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PennEnvironment Releases New Report On The Success Of Wildlife Corridors In Reconnecting Habitat To Protect Native Species, Prevent Vehicle Collisions

PA Environment Daily

On March 19, the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center released its newest report, Wildlife Corridors: How Reconnecting Habitat Is Protecting Pennsylvanias Native Species , on the successes so far with wildlife corridors. The report details how state agencies and conservation groups are preserving and reconnecting wildlife habitats in Pennsylvania using a wide variety of innovative strategies including engineered crossings, travel corridors and habitat stepping stones.

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Circular Agro-Processing: “We’re NUTS about CocoNUT”

Cleannovate

When we think of circular agro-processing, we imagine producing value-added products from agricultural produce devoid of waste. And there’s something magical about converting waste into value… It generates new incomes and creates new possibilities. And to this end, the coconut is exceptional. Let’s take a deepdive into the world of coconuts.

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State-Level Actions To Decarbonize Aviation

Legal Planet

Aviation is a significant and growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. But the federal government in the United States has failed to address it so far. In response, some state policy makers and advocates are now considering legal avenues to effectively require the use of sustainable aviation fuels, which emit less carbon than traditional jet fuel when burned and in some cases can eliminate these emissions altogether.

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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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A Craze for Tiny Plants Is Driving a Poaching Crisis in South Africa

Yale E360

South Africas Succulent Karoo is the most biodiverse arid region on the planet, with thousands of plants found nowhere else. But to meet a demand fueled by social media, criminal networks have been poaching these colorful succulents by the millions and smuggling them overseas.

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WMO: Update on 2023/4 Anomalies

Real Climate

The WMO released its (now) annual s tate of the climate report this week. As well as the (now) standard set of graphs related to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations , rising temperatures , reducing glacier mass, etc., Zeke Hausfather and I wrote up a short synthesis on the contributions to recent temperature anomalies. Readers will recall our previou s discussions on the anomalies in 2023 in particular, and the myriad of ideas that people have published to explain them.

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Ask a Scientist: What’s the Future for Trucks?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Big rigs, box trucks, and buses are part of our lives and economies. Almost everything we buy is carried by trucks, which move billions of tons of goods each year. School buses that bring kids to school, city buses that serve commuters, garbage and recycling trucks that keep streets clean, 18-wheelers that haul goods: these are all classified as medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

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Steelton-Highspire School District, Tröegs Independent Brewing Show Benefits Of Going Solar, Driving Electric Busses In Dauphin County

PA Environment Daily

On March 14, a tour of Steelton-Highspire School District facilities and Tregs Independent Brewing in Dauphin County shows the benefits of going solar and electric school buses. Local officials and residents, including Sen. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin), Rep. Dave Madsen (D-Dauphin), Steelton Manager Kathy McCool, and Highspire Mayor Von Hess, joined leaders from Steelton-Highspire School District, the nonprofit environmental group PennEnvironment , McClure Company , and First Student for an informative

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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 Study Reinforces Worries About Pulses of Rapid Sea Level Rise

Inside Climate News

An analysis of peat layers at the bottom of the North Sea shows how fast sea level rose during the end of the last ice age, when Earth was warming at a similar rate as today. By Bob Berwyn A new analysis of ancient layers of peat at the bottom of the North Sea will help scientists more accurately project how much sea level will rise in the coming decades and centuries.

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The Seven County Case and the Limits of Causation Under NEPA

Legal Planet

Our final article on the Seven Counties case before the Supreme Court, and how to think about causation and NEPA, is now out with the on-line companion to the Administrative Law Review, Accord. For those who dont have time for the whole paper, heres the abstract: This spring, the Supreme Court will decide Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County , its first significant case under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) since the early 2000s.

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Imperiled in the Wild, Many Plants May Survive Only in Gardens

Yale E360

As the impacts of climate change and other threats mount, conservationists are racing to preserve endangered plant species in botanical garden metacollections in the hope of eventually returning them to the wild. But what happens when there is no suitable habitat to return them to?

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Climate change in Africa

Real Climate

While there have been some recent set-backs within science and climate research and disturbing news about NOAA , there is also continuing efforts on responding to climate change. During my travels to Mozambique and Ghana, I could sense a real appreciation for knowledge, and an eagerness to learn how to calculate risks connected to climate change. Recent events have shown incredibly high rainfall amounts that have devastated cities and countries , as well as droughts that have exacerbated the ris

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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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Delays and Disagreements: The IPCC’s Struggle to Stay on Course

Union of Concerned Scientists

This past week, I attended the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting in Hangzhou, China. Delegates from nearly 190 nations came together to discussand, in theory, make decisions aboutnext steps for the 7th assessment cycle. In previous posts, Ive explained what the IPCC is, why this assessment cycle is crucial , and highlighted its role in climate action.

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Master Watershed Steward Dean Neely Takes A Hands-On Approach To Conservation In Monroe County

PA Environment Daily

By Kelly Jedrzejewski, Penn State News For Master Watershed Steward volunteer Dean Neely, preserving Pennsylvania waters, forests and lands for future generations is a priority. He is happy to roll up his sleeves to take on conservation projects throughout Monroe County. Neely said he always has loved the outdoors and was involved with the Pocono Heritage Land Trust and the Brodhead Creek Heritage Center before becoming a Master Watershed Steward.

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Global Warming Will Weaken Earth’s Strongest Ocean Current

Inside Climate News

The slowdown of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current could have 'dire' consequences, including greater climate variability and accelerated global warming. By Bob Berwyn Fresh water from melting Antarctic ice is projected to weaken the worlds most powerful ocean current by 20 percent in the next quarter century, an international team of scientists concluded in a study published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

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A stark warning for UK blanket bog

The Applied Ecologist

Jonny Ritson talks us through the latest modelling study, conducted alongside colleagues, aiming to determine how suitable future conditions will be for both peat accumulation andSphagnumsurvival in the UK. Bioclimatic envelope models have been used as a tool to map the climate conditions under which specific habitats occur.

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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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Can Toxic Mining Waste Help Remove CO2 from the Atmosphere?

Yale E360

On the coast of Newfoundland, waste from a shuttered asbestos mine has been a troubling source of contamination for decades. Now, a company plans to process the waste to draw CO2 from the air one of several projects worldwide that aim to turn this liability into an asset.

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The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: Key Takeaways from the 2024 Hearings (Part 1)

Law Columbia

On March 29, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on States obligations regarding climate change. This request was widely seen as an opportunity for the Court to clarify States legal obligations, advance climate justice, and protect the environment for present and future generations.

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The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Lasting Imprint on Global Sea Levels 

Union of Concerned Scientists

The fossil fuel industrys role in driving climate change is undeniable, yet corporate accountability remains a contested space. As the scientific evidence strengthens, courts around the world are increasingly considering the role of major fossil fuel companies in climate-related damages. Our latest research published today in Environmental Research Letters adds a critical piece to this legal and scientific puzzle by quantifying how emissions from the worlds largest fossil fuel and cement produce

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Our Solar PA Coalition Highlights How Community Solar Energy Legislation Is A People-Centered Solution For Clean Energy

PA Environment Daily

On March 20, the Our Solar PA Coalition held a press conference in Harrisburg to advocate for the passage of community solar energy legislation. Another in-person event took place in Western Pennsylvania, where supporters rallied in support of community-centered clean energy at the Homestead Steel Mill Stacks. As one of the priorities in Gov. Shapiros Lightning Plan , this legislation will lower energy bills while allowing renters and those who are otherwise unable to access clean energy to part

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Water Agency Renews Concern That Sea-Level Rise Will Flood Drinking-Water Intakes in Philadelphia, Southern N.J.

Inside Climate News

The Delaware River Basin Commission says the current plan to boost downstream flows may not be enough to repel a salt front in the tidal Delaware River. By Jon Hurdle PHILADELPHIAFears that seawater may one day flood drinking-water intakes serving millions of people in the Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey rose again when an interstate regulator said a current program to stop salty water moving up the Delaware River might be overwhelmed by sea-level rise and drought.

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Human-wildlife coexistence: The need for evidence-based solutions

The Applied Ecologist

Chen Huang provides an overview of their investigation into human-wildlife conflict, and explains how research gaps can be turned into opportunities. Humans and wildlife share the planet, often in proximity. In many parts of the world, villagers see elephants, lions, dolphins, and seabirds as part of their daily livesmuch like city dwellers spot starlings feeding in a park.

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Peruvian Farmer Sues German Energy Giant Over Its Role in Climate Change

Yale E360

Hearings began Monday in a landmark climate case in Hamm, Germany, where a Peruvian farmer is suing energy giant RWE over its role in warming.

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The Rhino Whisperer | In Her Nature

PBS Nature

The tragic loss of her mother to a rhino attack hasnt stopped Doma Paudel from her fearless conservation efforts. Instead, it inspired her to become Nepal’s first female nature guide and to fight to save Nepalese rhinos from near extinction, double Nepals tiger population, and teach Nepalese communities how to compassionately coexist with wildlife.

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The Long History of Climate Models

Union of Concerned Scientists

Climate models are the main tool scientists use to assess how much the Earths temperature will change given an increase in fossil fuel pollutants in the atmosphere. As a climate scientist, Ive used them in all my research projects, including one predicting a change in Southwestern US precipitation patterns. But how exactly did climate models come to be?

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City & State PA Hosts April 22 Energy Summit - The Future Of Energy In Pennsylvania

PA Environment Daily

City & State PA will host an April 22 [Earth Day] Energy Summit - The Future Of Energy In Pennsylvania at the Harrisburg Hilton from 8:30 a.m. to Noon. Pennsylvanias energy landscape is undergoing a major transformation! At the Pennsylvania Energy Summit on April 22, industry leaders and policymakers will tackle key challenges, policy shifts, and the clean energy transition shaping the states future.

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