Wed.May 18, 2022

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How Ailing Strip Malls Could Be a Green Fix for U.S. Housing Crisis

Yale E360

Urban designer Peter Calthorpe has a plan for the shuttered and financially troubled strip malls that dot the suburban landscape: Convert the malls into housing that would be part of green communities where people could be closer to their jobs and get out of their cars. Read more on E360 ?.

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Why We Can Send A Rover To Mars, But We Can’t Send An Electron From New York to California

Union of Concerned Scientists

Space missions are a federal matter, but states determine energy policy and infrastructure decisions. Right now, states and the federal government have a choice that will define our country’s options for clean energy and planning the power grid for the challenges ahead. This choice reveals how the electric grid, and the work to cut global warming emissions, are shaped by our political structures.

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The Stream, May 18, 2022: How Some Cities in the American West Have Ample Water Supplies Amid Drought

Circle of Blue

The San Vicente Dam in San Diego, California. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue. YOUR GLOBAL RUNDOWN. A commission in California voted against granting a permit for a proposed desalination plant along the state’s coastline. A report suggests London could be waterless by 2050. The most recent deluge in Queensland, Australia has left hundreds of people displaced and cut off access to more than 700 roads.

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A Daughter’s Story: White Supremacy and the Poor People’s Campaign

Union of Concerned Scientists

UCS is honored to be a mobilizing partner for the Poor People’s Campaign , a nonviolent call to moral revival. If you can join us in Washington, DC on June 18 th in solidarity with their march and assembly, I hope you will. Buffalo. Charlottesville. El Paso. Pittsburgh. Charleston. I’ve been fortunate to visit all these great cities. Each has its own character, architecture, arts scene, mix of peoples and histories, its delicious foods and its distinctive accents.

Politics 248
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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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A “Hunger Catastrophe” in the Making

Legal Planet

Grain shipments at Port of Novorossiysk. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons. The global food system is in crisis for the third time in fifteen years. Food prices are hitting all-time highs, pushing hundreds of millions of people deeper into poverty and food insecurity and threatening political stability in regions around the world. The World Food Programme has called the current situation a “ hunger catastrophe ,” noting that since 2019, the number of people facing acute food insecurity has more t

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Lease Perpetuated Beyond Primary Term Without Production in Paying Quantities

Energy & the Law

Co-author David Leonard. If perpetuation of a mineral lease beyond the primary term is contingent upon continuous operations, do traditional notions of “production in paying quantities” always matter? Spoiler: No. In Thistle Creek Ranch, LLC v. Ironroc Energy Partners, LLC , an appellate court affirmed partial summary judgment in favor of lessee Ironroc Energy Partners under these odd clauses in the Kettler lease.

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More Trending

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Method used to track ants underground could revolutionize how we measure snow depth from space

Frontiers

By Simona Pesce, Frontiers writer. Photo of snow taken by crew of the International Space Station. Image: NASA. With the help of some ants, NASA scientists have developed an innovative concept to measure exactly how deep the snow layer is covering sea ice and mountains using a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) instrument in space. The findings, published in Frontiers in Remote Sensing , reveal this new method will have several applications and provide more accurate measurements on the evolutio

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Concerning primordial black holes

Physics World

It’s just gone 12:45 p.m. on 30 November 1954 when a lazy Alabama afternoon is suddenly arrested by a fireball noisily rending the air, burning so bright it’s visible from two neighbouring states as it streaks through the sky above Sylacauga. Breaking into fragments, one grapefruit-sized part of the rock slams messily through the roof of a farmhouse, ricochets off a large console radio and slams into the side of a young woman as she takes a nap on her couch.

Radiation 116
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How the massive dogs bred to protect livestock could save wolves too

New Scientist

Livestock guardian dogs traditionally used to protect herd animals from predators are now also being hailed as a way to conserve the animals they are trained to scare off

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‘Micronovae’ explosions on white dwarfs caused by localized accretion

Physics World

The mystery why of small explosive bursts occur on some accreting white dwarf stars appears to have been solved by a team of astronomers led by Simone Scaringi at the UK’s Durham University. The team examined bursts of light from three white dwarf systems and noticed that their evolution was similar to X-ray bursts that occur on the surfaces of some neutron stars.

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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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Federal Court Orders Service to Take a Third Look at Bi-state Sage Grouse Listing Status

Endangered Species Law

On May 16, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) March 31, 2020 withdrawal (2020 Withdrawal) of a proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing and section 4(d) rule for the “bi-state population” of the greater sage grouse (Bi-state Grouse). The Bi-state Grouse lives along the California-Nevada border within six population management units (PMUs) monitored by the Service.

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Decoy nanoparticles soak up SARS-CoV-2

Physics World

The ACE2 protein is the cellular door through which SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, enters cells. What if we could trick SARS-CoV-2 into binding to decoy cells that render the virus inactive? Nanoparticles may be the answer. By binding their ACE2 receptors to viral spike proteins, nanoparticles could act as cellular decoys that soak up viral particles like a sponge.

Recycling 115
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Ag and Food Law Daily Update: May 18, 2022

National Law Center

A comprehensive summary of today’s judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments in agriculture and food. Email important additions HERE. . The post Ag and Food Law Daily Update: May 18, 2022 appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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Equity Guide for Green Stormwater Infrastructure Practitioners

Environmental News Bits

The Equity Guide for Green Stormwater Infrastructure Practitioners is a comprehensive guide to advancing and measuring equity within public sector stormwater management organizations’ green stormwater infrastructure policies, programs, and projects. It offers an action and evaluation roadmap that defines: the industry’s shared long-term equity goals, best practices that will move the needle, and sample metrics that help … Continue reading Equity Guide for Green Stormwater Infrastructure Pr

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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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Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Living Memorial To Victims Of Violence, Pandemic To Take Root In City Of Harrisburg

PA Environment Daily

Trees to benefit the landscape and remember those lost to the pandemic, violence, and other causes will take root as a living memorial in the City of Harrisburg on Memorial Day weekend. “There’s a lot of devastation and trauma in our community,” Harrisburg resident Rafiyqa Muhammad said. “This memorial is a chance to work through grief, but also to learn how we can reforest a beautiful area like this.

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Covid-19 vaccines may ward off long covid even if given post-infection

New Scientist

Researchers compared the rate of long covid among people who were vaccinated after catching covid-19 with those who developed long covid before being vaccinated

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Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Hosting Upcoming Programs On Funding Projects, Rain Gardens, Interfaith Environmental Stewardship

PA Environment Daily

The Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake , which works to engage religious congregations in being good caretakers of our shared Chesapeake Bay Watershed, is highlighting upcoming events by local partner congregations and education opportunities. The events include-- -- June 2: Watch Party! Project Funding Webinar. 7:00 p.m. This Learning Lab offers funding ideas and strategies to support your congregation's vision for healing the earth, air and water.

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UK expects to produce more electricity than it needs by 2030

New Scientist

A wave of huge offshore wind farms is expected to produce such a glut of inexpensive power that Great Britain soon stops being a net importer of electricity

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As reusable takeout container systems expand, logistics questions abound

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story at Waste Dive. The pandemic threw startups for a loop, but many are still seeing strong demand. Now, companies and restaurants may have to balance brand identity with uniformity.

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AI solves complex physics problems by looking for signs of symmetry

New Scientist

Complicated physics problems are sometimes simpler than they appear, so physicists have made a machine learning model to search for the simplicity

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Sam’s Club outlines new sustainability efforts for its Member’s Mark line

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story at Grocery Dive. Sam’s Club announced on Tuesday new sustainability efforts, including removing certain ingredients from its Member’s Mark private label line, which spans several categories, including grocery. As part of the work, Sam’s Club said it will unveil a new Member’s Mark logo and design, which will include a “subtle check mark,” … Continue reading Sam’s Club outlines new sustainability efforts for its Member’s Mark line.

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Covid-19 rebound seen in some people after taking Pfizer drug Paxlovid

New Scientist

Pfizer’s Paxlovid can prevent severe covid-19 in vulnerable people when taken as a five-day course at home, but the medicine may not eradicate the virus in everyone

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Wegmans will soon say ‘goodbye’ to single-use plastic bags chainwide

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story at Grocery Dive. Wegmans announced on Thursday it plans to no longer offer single-use plastic bags by the end of this year. To help customers transition over to reusable bags, Wegmans said it will start charging five cents per paper bag — a move the grocery chain said has been successful in New … Continue reading Wegmans will soon say ‘goodbye’ to single-use plastic bags chainwide.

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Claims that girls have a 'natural' aversion to physics are harmful

New Scientist

Girls are just as capable as boys in science and mathematics, but ingrained attitudes are stopping female students from engaging, says Maria Rossini

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Abundance, exploitation, recovery: A portrait of South Georgia

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story from the New York Times. A series of ecological initiatives, including the eradication of several invasive species, has dramatically revived the life and landscape of this remote sub-Antarctic island.

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Watch out for comet SW3, which might cause a meteor shower in late May

New Scientist

Here's hoping that a meteor shower predicted by astronomers for almost a century will be seen this month, says Abigail Beall

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Scientists develop environmentally safe, frost-resistant coatings

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story from the University of Illinois Chicago. Airports are busy, especially during the winter. As passengers wait to board, delays get longer when airplanes need to be dowsed with thousands of gallons of deicing fluids that help them fight the frigid winter. But as soon as the plane takes off, most of … Continue reading Scientists develop environmentally safe, frost-resistant coatings.

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The urban beekeeping boom is hurting wild pollinator species

New Scientist

The recent global trend for urban apiary amounts to "bee-washing" that detracts from efforts to reverse the decline in wild pollinators, argues Graham Lawton

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Powderhorn Lake Connectivity Project

Environmental News Bits

Powderhorn Lake is part of one of the few remaining examples of the dune and swale topography – sandy ridges interspersed with water pockets – that once characterized the Calumet Region along the south shore of Lake Michigan. The area is home to 100 bird species, 250 plant species and 2,500 insect species. In addition … Continue reading Powderhorn Lake Connectivity Project.

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Why the next big solar storm might hit Earth without warning

New Scientist

A big solar storm could fry the internet, but at least space weather forecasts would give us a day or two to prepare.

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Biden Administration issues RFI for initiative to boost deployment and cut costs of long duration energy storage

Environmental News Bits

The Biden Administration through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on the structure of a $505 million long duration energy storage initiative to increase the availability of and deliver affordable, reliable clean electricity. The new Long Duration Energy Storage for Everyone, Everywhere Initiative, created by … Continue reading Biden Administration issues RFI for initiative to boost deployment and cut costs of long duratio

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Australian election 2022: What will the outcome mean for the climate?

New Scientist

Australia’s targets for cutting carbon emissions are among the weakest in developed nations, but a new government could accelerate the transition to renewable energy

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Chicago’s air pollution hotspots: New sensor network reveals neighborhood air quality disparities

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story at MuckRock. This investigation, “Chicago’s Air Pollution Hotspots,” is a collaboration between the Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, the Cicero Independiente and MuckRock, with support from Columbia University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation. Reporting by Smarth Gupta, Dillon Bergin, María Inés Zamudio, Charmaine Runes and Brett Chase.

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Boeing's Starliner spacecraft launches to ISS despite thruster issue

New Scientist

At the moment, only SpaceX is able to launch astronauts to the International Space Station from US soil, but Boeing hopes to change that with an uncrewed test of its Starliner spacecraft

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