Wed.Oct 06, 2021

article thumbnail

Fossil Fuels Received $5.9 Trillion In Subsidies in 2020, Report Finds

Yale E360

Coal, oil, and natural gas received $5.9 trillion in subsidies in 2020 — or roughly $11 million every minute — according to a new analysis from the International Monetary Fund. Read more on E360 ?.

article thumbnail

“Code Red” for Climate Means Reducing US Oil and Gas Production

Union of Concerned Scientists

The Biden adminstration needs to focus on the urgency of the climate crisis.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

The Stream, October 6, 2021: PFAS Levels Are High In Massachusetts Town’s Surface Water, Report Finds

Circle of Blue

YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN. Some residents in a South African municipality stage protests over chronic water outages. Water contamination in a village in India kills six people and puts hundreds in the hospital. A hydrologist in Massachusetts finds PFAS contamination in over 20 local bodies of water. A new report calls for more transparency from Australia’s government in regard to water distribution in the Murray-Darling Basin.

2021 130
article thumbnail

Quantum computers untangle knotty polymer problem

Physics World

The sheer length and complexity of polymers – chains of molecules that make up both artificial materials such as plastics and the proteins that form the essential building blocks of life – make them formidable objects to study. Researchers in Italy have now tackled this problem in a new way, using quantum computers to make polymers slightly more approachable.

article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Surprising discovery in Arctic songbird may reveal how it survives challenging migrations

Frontiers

By K.E.D Coan, science writer. Snow buntings in winter. Image: Mircea Costina/Shutterstock.com. There is still much to learn about how Arctic migratory birds adjust their physiology during different phases of their life. For example, between winter and summer habitats, or during migration. A recent study published to Frontiers shows the first evidence that snow buntings keep their winter traits through migration.

article thumbnail

Getting physical with the climate crisis

Physics World

Making pledges is easy. More than 130 nations have so far promised to become “net-zero” carbon emitters by 2050 to try to limit global warming to 2?°C above pre-industrial levels. But as world leaders meet on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow for the COP26 summit , they will have to turn talk into action. We’ve already hit 1.2?°C warming and there are clear signs of the climate chaos we’re starting to unleash. .

Cooling 133

More Trending

article thumbnail

Drug treatment for Lyme disease could lead to its eradication

New Scientist

Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that is becoming more common in many countries, could be eradicated using a drug that kills the disease-causing bacterium

143
143
article thumbnail

5 Venomous Ocean Animals You Need to See

Ocean Conservancy

Ocean animals have evolved all kinds of different ways to protect themselves from threats. Some use camouflage to blend into their surroundings. Others have hard shells that keep the animals (relatively) safe inside. And many others rely on toxins to dissuade potential predators from bothering them. Today we’re sharing some of our ocean’s most notorious venomous residents.

Ocean 118
article thumbnail

Cryo-electron tomography reveals why normal cells stick and cancer cells don’t

Physics World

Scientists in Australia have used cryo-electron microscopy to study the structure of protein anchor chains that keep cells in place in the human body. These microscopic structures, 1/10,000th the width of a human hair, help cells pull and push on their environment, and are important for cell migration. Certain types of cancer cells – having fewer anchor chains – can disengage from their environment and move more freely throughout the body, a process known as metastasis.

article thumbnail

EU votes to restrict AI use in law enforcement while UK rolls it out

New Scientist

Legislation working its way through the European Parliament could see a complete ban on the use of artificial intelligence in law enforcement

Law 144
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Organic aerosols from forests could help cool the planet

Physics World

Researchers in Finland have observed a plant-induced cooling effect in the atmosphere, which strengthens as temperatures increase. The team, led by Taina Yli-Juuti at the University of Eastern Finland, studied the negative feedback mechanism through both ground- and space-based observations of a Finnish forest. Their results could provide important guidance for climate models that include the influence of aerosols in the atmosphere.

Cooling 122
article thumbnail

UK could halve energy demand by 2050 without reducing quality of life

New Scientist

The UK needs to cut its energy use to meet climate change goals, but the government is focused on increasing efficiency rather than measures to cut demand

article thumbnail

Ag & Food Law Daily Update: October 6, 2021

National Law Center

A comprehensive summary of today’s judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments in agriculture and food. Email important additions HERE. REGULATORY: APHIS, The post Ag & Food Law Daily Update: October 6, 2021 appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

Law 107
article thumbnail

Researchers study radium in aquifers of north-central Illinois

Environmental News Bits

By Lisa Sheppard, Prairie Research Institute Walt Kelly, Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) groundwater geochemist, answered questions about the findings of his recent study on radium levels in groundwater of the St. Peter Sandstone aquifer, with a study area in north-central Illinois.

105
105
article thumbnail

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.

article thumbnail

Energy Wasters: Scare Away Those Vampire Loads

Earth 911

Have you heard about the slow drain on your electricity from appliances, known as “vampire. The post Energy Wasters: Scare Away Those Vampire Loads appeared first on Earth911.

article thumbnail

The University of Kansas to Trial Open-Access Publishing Agreement with Frontiers

Frontiers

As part of the University of Kansas’ support in making research more widely available, KU Libraries have agreed to an institutional membership trial agreement with Frontiers, enabling KU and KU Med-affiliated corresponding authors to benefit from a 7.5% membership discount on article processing charges (APCs) in any of Frontiers’ journals until the end of September 2022 (reference date is the article acceptance date).

2022 104
article thumbnail

Wisconsin regulators fund disaster-resilience efforts

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story at WiscNews. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has awarded almost $1 million to study projects designed to keep electricity flowing locally even during major disasters.

article thumbnail

Deadly Falls among the Elderly Are on the Rise

Scientific American

They could be reduced with targeted exercise and some technological innovations. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

article thumbnail

China puts an end to new overseas coal plant projects

A Greener Life

A coal-burning power plant can be seen behind a factory in the city of Baotou, in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Photo credit: Reuters / David Gray. By Anders Lorenzen. With just over a month to go to COP26 at the time of the announcement, the world’s biggest emitter, China, last month, pledged not to fund any new overseas coal projects.

2030 98
article thumbnail

Convergent thinking shapes Clatterbridge’s single-source strategy on radiotherapy QA

Physics World

Continuous improvement, patient safety, automation and workflow efficiency: these are the operational reference points that underpin a comprehensive portfolio of clinical services at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust , one of the UK’s leading oncology programmes delivering non-surgical cancer care – radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy – to approximately 30,000 patients every year in Liverpool and the wider metropolitan region across the north-west o

article thumbnail

PA Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Challenge To Ruling Denying Environmental Groups Attorney's Fees In Successful Appeal Of Energy Transfer/Sunoco Mariner East Pipeline Permit

PA Environment Daily

On October 5, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by the the Clean Air Council , Mountain Watershed Association , and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network of a Commonwealth Court decision denying attorneys fees in the groups’ successful challenge to a Mariner East Pipeline Permit. The appeal, if successful, will overturn a split decision by the Commonwealth Court which makes it nearly impossible for someone successfully appealing a permit issued under the Clean Streams Law to get

Law 98
article thumbnail

The Yellow Island Experience

Washington Nature

By Tonya Morrey , Central Cascades AmeriCorps Member The excitement for me started when driving along Padilla Bay as the tide began to creep in. Bays, islands, and being so close to Canada all seems so unworldly and mystical to this Colorado born-and-raised gal. The excitement increased ten-fold when I noticed the group of other TNC'ers congregating next to the marina.

98
article thumbnail

Francis Collins, Head of NIH Who Led Human Genome Project, to Step Down

Scientific American

After 12 years at the helm of the top biomedical research agency, the geneticist will return to running his lab by year’s end. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

article thumbnail

Flying robot can also ride a skateboard and balance on a rope

New Scientist

A versatile robot inspired by birds can walk, balance on a slackline, skateboard and even fly – a mix of skills that could be useful for monitoring power lines or space exploration

99
article thumbnail

An Elbow Injury Exposes the Exorbitant Costs of Health Care

Scientific American

Bills totaling $287,365.08 provide insights into the dysfunctional economics of American medicine. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

111
111
article thumbnail

Repressed memories: The dangerous idea we can’t seem to forget

New Scientist

The idea that recollections of traumatic experiences can be locked away only to suddenly re-emerge years later has once again become a hotly debated issue, with serious implications for investigations of historical abuse

103
103
article thumbnail

10 Writing Awards for Cool Green Science

Cool Green Science

Cool Green Science staff writers and contributors won 10 awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America. The post 10 Writing Awards for Cool Green Science appeared first on Cool Green Science.

Cooling 91
article thumbnail

Chemistry Nobel awarded for technique to produce mirror molecules

New Scientist

The 2021 Nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to Benjamin List and David MacMillan for developing catalysts that produce molecules of a desired left or right "handedness"

2021 98
article thumbnail

Michigan plans to build the first EV charging road in U.S.

Inhabitant

Last month, State Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that the state of Michigan has announced an ambitious plan to build the country's first wireless electric vehicle charging road. It will help the state meet its net-zero target by 2050, according to Whitmer.

article thumbnail

Massage gun for mice shows how pummelling tissue boosts muscle repair

New Scientist

Massage really does help damaged muscles heal, because pummelling the tissue clears it of immune cells that interfere with tissue regrowth, a study in mice suggests

98
article thumbnail

DFDS Makes Volvo’s Largest Electric Truck Order

Environmental Leader

Volvo receives largest order of electric trucks to date from shipping company DFDS. The post DFDS Makes Volvo’s Largest Electric Truck Order appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

article thumbnail

Supersized AIs: Are truly intelligent machines just a matter of scale?

New Scientist

Gigantic neural networks that write with remarkable fluency have led some experts to suggest that scaling up current technology will lead to human-level language abilities – and ultimately true machine intelligence

article thumbnail

UK farmers are culling healthy pigs amid labor shortage

Inhabitant

Pig farmers in Britain have started culling their healthy pigs due to a lack of workers. Pig slaughterhouses lack workers, who are instrumental in ensuring a continuous process of production.

94
article thumbnail

Covid-19 news: ‘Covid toe’ may be side effect of immune response

New Scientist

The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic

98