Trending Articles

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A Word on Congestion Pricing

Legal Planet

Yesterday, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved the city’s long-planned and hotly debated congestion pricing program , the first of its kind in the US. The program will involve a $15 toll for vehicles entering midtown or lower Manhattan, with discounts for some qualifying drivers and credits for bridge and tunnel tolls so drivers aren’t double-charged.

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Paula García Knows Renewable Energy Is for the People

Union of Concerned Scientists

“Careful with the plants, careful with the trees, careful with the animals,” her grandfather would repeat. Traveling to the southern region of Colombia as a young child, Paula García remembers being taught by her elders about the deep interconnectedness between humans and the natural world. During visits, her family would echo the teachings of their ancestors, perspectives that García still carries with her today.

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New Bill Takes Up Local Oil Drilling Phase-Outs

Legal Planet

When the California Supreme Court ruled last August that Monterey County could not enforce its voter-approved ban on new oil and gas wells, lawyers for Chevron said the company was “pleased” to end the 7 years of litigation. Monterey County is home to the eighth-largest oil field in California, so there was plenty at stake on the face of the case. But this legal battle was about much more than the San Ardo Oil Field; it was the latest in a line of coordinated legal efforts to sow confusion and d

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Update on RGGI in Pennsylvania

Law and Environment

In 2022, Pennsylvania became the 12th member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”). Pennsylvania joined RGGI pursuant to a 2019 executive order and a subsequent rulemaking promulgated by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) and Environmental Quality Board (“EQB”). Later that year, various parties—including power producers, coal mine owners, and labor unions (collectively, the “Petitioners”)—filed a lawsuit in the state’s Commonwealth Court alleging that Pennsyl

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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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Spreading rock dust on farms boosts crop yields and captures CO2

New Scientist

We already have evidence that rock dust can remove carbon dioxide from the air – now there are signs that spreading the dust on farm fields also enhances crop growth

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Orca Groups with Radically Different Cultures Are Actually Separate Species

Scientific American

“Resident” and “transient” killer whales, or orcas, have unique hunting habits and genetics, proving they are in fact separate species

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Chevron Gets the Headlines, But State Farm May Be More Important

Legal Planet

The Chevron doctrine requires judges to defer to an agency’s interpretation of a statute if that interpretation is reasonable. The State Farm case , which is much less widely known, requires courts to defer to an agency’s expert judgment unless its reasoning has ignored contrary evidence or has a logical hole. As you probably already know, two cases now before the Court will probably result in abandoning or revamping Chevron.

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Feature- Remembering March 28, 1979 At The Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant - The Accident No One Thought Would Happen

PA Environment Daily

Forty-five years ago on March 28, 1979, Pennsylvanians woke up to a much different world -- the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Dauphin County. The fear and uncertainty about what was going to happen-- Was there a “bubble”? Wasn’t there a bubble? Should we evacuate or not? Have we already been “irradiated” invisibly and don’t know it?

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We've glimpsed something that behaves like a particle of gravity

New Scientist

Gravitons, the particles thought to carry gravity, have never been seen in space – but something very similar has been detected in a semiconductor

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Does Long-Term Benadryl Use Increase Dementia Risk?

Scientific American

Benadryl, which contains diphenhydramine, is a drugstore mainstay and just one medication out of many that could possibly damage brain health

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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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Everything You Need to Know about EPA’s New Clean Car Emissions Standards

Union of Concerned Scientists

Last week, the Biden Administration finalized the newest, and strongest, set of vehicle emissions standards for new passenger cars and trucks. These new rules apply to all auto manufacturers and only affect new vehicle sales. They will go into effect in model year 2027 and steadily increase in stringency through model year 2032. Here’s what you need to know: Climate Transportation is the largest source of climate emissions in the US (29 percent) and passenger cars and trucks account for the majo

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Working hard or hardly working? Modelling success of current grassland agri-environment schemes

The Applied Ecologist

Shortlisted for the Georgina Mace Prize 2023 In this blog post, author Bede West describe his team’s study analysing the potential for agri-environment schemes to achieve positive changes in plant biodiversity. Plants and soils are the trophic foundations of most temperate terrestrial ecosystems but they are being progressively impacted by climate change, biodiversity loss and a plethora of other environmental impacts.

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Antibody therapy makes the immune systems of old mice young again

New Scientist

A novel antibody therapy makes the immune system of old mice appear younger, allowing the animals to better fend off infections and reduce inflammation

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Banning TikTok Would Do Basically Nothing to Protect Your Data

Scientific American

Proposed restrictions on TikTok would be “security theater” in the face of the staggering amounts of data that foreign and domestic tech companies collect

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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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Sinking Coastal Lands Will Exacerbate the Flooding from Sea Level Rise in 24 US Cities, New Research Shows

Inside Climate News

In the affected cities, as many as 500,000 people and one in every 35 properties could be impacted by the flooding, and communities of color face disproportionate effects. By Moriah McDonald Flooding could affect one out of every 50 residents in 24 coastal cities in the United States by the year 2050, a study led by Virginia Tech researchers suggests.

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PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 23

PA Environment Daily

The following DEP notices were published in the March 23 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities. Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments. Land Recycling/Brownfield Cleanups -- Leatherwood LLC - Bristor-Fonner Conventional Well: DEP received a Notice of Intent to remediate soil contaminated with crude oil and the well plugged so the property can continue to be used for residential purposes located in Morris Twp., Greene County. ( PA Bulletin, page 1588 ) -- C

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Environmental Defence Experts React to the 2024 Ontario Budget

Enviromental Defense

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Environmental Defence experts react to the 2024 Ontario budget, released today. Keith Brooks, Programs Director: This budget once again shows that the Ontario government doesn’t take climate change seriously and is uninterested in being truthful when it comes to the costs of climate change and climate policies.

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Bird flu detected in US dairy cows – here’s what you need to know

New Scientist

The US Department of Agriculture has detected bird flu in dairy cows from Texas and Kansas – the first time the virus has been found in cattle

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Baltimore Bridge Collapse Wreaks Havoc on Coal, Car Supply Chains

Scientific American

The sudden destruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the Port of Baltimore has implications for some of the largest U.S.

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Elizabeth Tinsley: Bats are avoiding solar sites

The Applied Ecologist

Shortlisted for the 2023 Southwood Prize Elizabeth Tinsley talks us through how she and colleagues conducted a paired study at 19 ground-mounted solar PV developments in southwest England. Through the use of static detectors to record bat echolocation calls and the development of generalised linear mixed-effect models, it was determined that ground-mounted solar photovoltaic developments have a significant negative effect on bat activity.

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PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 16 to 22 - Truck Rollover; 12 More Abandoned Wells; Failure To Submit Annual Reports; Another Chewed Wastewater Line Leaking

PA Environment Daily

From March 16 to 22, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 609 inspection entries. As of March 15 of this year , DEP-- -- NOVs Issued In Last Week: 148 conventional, 0 unconventional -- Year To Date - NOVs Issued: 2,217 conventional and 207 unconventional -- Enforcements 2024: 110 conventional and 24 unconventional -- Inspections Last Week: 225 conventional and 362 unconventional -- Year To Date - Inspections: 3,373 conventional and 5,396 unconventional -- Well

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Earth911 Podcast: Honeywell’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr. Gavin Towler, On Accelerating ESG Efforts

Earth 911

Honeywell International is one of the largest companies in the world, ranking 115th in the. The post Earth911 Podcast: Honeywell’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr. Gavin Towler, On Accelerating ESG Efforts appeared first on Earth911.

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New view of our galaxy's black hole reveals a swirling magnetic field

New Scientist

The black hole at the centre of our galaxy, known as Sagittarius A*, has been captured in polarised light to reveal its magnetic field

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How a Rare Islamic Astrolabe Helped Muslims, Jews and Christians Tell Time and Read Horoscopes

Scientific American

A rare Islamic astrolabe discovered in Verona, Italy, reveals how science was exchanged between religions

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Putting the Brakes on Turtle Loss in Ontario

Enviromental Defense

Ontario is home to eight native species of freshwater turtles – the biggest species variety and greatest density of turtles in Canada. Unfortunately for our turtles, Ontario is also home to the highest density of roadways. Turtles are semi-aquatic meaning that they spend time in water and on land. They spend the winters “hibernating” at the bottom of lakes, ponds or rivers usually buried in the mud for protection.

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Save Carbon County Files Lawsuit In Philadelphia Court Against Stronghold Digital, DEP, Governor, PUC Over Cryptocurrency Operations At Panther Creek Power Plant

PA Environment Daily

On March 26, Save Carbon County filed a lawsuit against Stronghold Digital , DEP, the Governor and the Public Utility Commission over pollution from the cryptocurrency operations at the Panther Creek Power Plant. Save Carbon County hopes to see a decrease in the pollution of our air and water produced by Panther Creek Power located in Nesquehoning. Stronghold Digital owns two “bitcoin mining operations” in Pennsylvania and these facilities use enough electricity to power approximately 1.15 milli

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Taking the Train for Sustainable Travel

Earth 911

For many people, rail travel might suggest romantic images of the old West or the. The post Taking the Train for Sustainable Travel appeared first on Earth911.

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NASA’s Artemis astronauts will try to grow plants on the moon

New Scientist

Three experiments have been selected to fly to the moon alongside NASA’s Artemis III astronauts, all designed to help with future long-term stays on the moon and eventually Mars

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First-Ever Magnetic Map of Milky Way's Black Hole Reveals a Mystery

Scientific American

Polarized light from Sagittarius A*, our galaxy's supermassive black hole, shows swirling magnetic fields that may hint at the presence of an unseen jet

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California’s Latino Communities Most at Risk From Exposure to Brain-Damaging Weed Killer

Inside Climate News

Growers’ use of the neurotoxic weed killer paraquat is concentrated in just five agricultural counties, leaving low-income Latinos disproportionately exposed to a chemical linked to Parkinson’s disease, a new analysis shows. By Liza Gross Evidence linking one of the nation’s most widely used commercial weed killers to Parkinson’s disease first emerged in the 1980s.

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Chesapeake Bay Foundation Takes Legal Action To Stop Susquehanna River Hydroelectric Facility In York County

PA Environment Daily

On March 25, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation announced it has taken legal action to stop a 1,000-acre pumped-storage hydroelectric facility proposed for Cuffs Run, near the Susquehanna River in York County. CBF filed a motion to intervene in the administrative proceedings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the commission considers granting a preliminary permit to York Energy Storage LLC, for plans to build a 1.8-mile-long dam and flood 580 acres in Chanceford Township, to create a hy

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What is Premier Smith’s Problem with Renewable Energy?

Enviromental Defense

The Premier of Alberta has a problem with renewable energy. In August of 2023, Premier Smith imposed a seven-month industry-wide moratorium on new approvals for wind, solar, geothermal, and other forms of renewable energy. The halt cost clean energy investors, renewable energy companies, and provincial and municipal governments more than $30 billion in delayed, deferred, or lost investments and taxes.

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Largest recorded solar storm was even bigger than we thought

New Scientist

Rediscovered magnetic recordings reveal just how extreme the largest recorded solar storm in history, the Carrington event in 1859, really was, highlighting the danger such storms could present to us nowadays

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How Do Animals Respond to a Total Solar Eclipse?

Scientific American

Scientists are finally getting their hands on enough data to begin to understand how animals react to a total solar eclipse

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