May, 2022

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HotSpots H2O: As Water Systems Fail in Pakistan, Heat Wave Begets A Health Crisis

Circle of Blue

Climate change and mismanagement sowed the seeds of a cholera outbreak. A child collects drinking water in Rajasthan, India in 2016. Photo © J. Carl Ganter / Circle of Blue. By Laura Gersony, Circle of Blue — May 23, 2022. South Asia is not only baking in a record-setting heat wave. Entering the third month of extreme temperatures, people in Pakistan are confronting yet another calamity linked to an unforgiving climate: a deadly cholera outbreak.

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Prepare for Another Dangerous Hurricane Season Predicted for 2022

Union of Concerned Scientists

Here we are again, on the cusp of another hurricane season. June 1 is the official start, but for the past 7 years the first named storm (and sometimes the second) formed before that date. This year broke the streak, and that is a good thing. Still, both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast , released on May 24, and the Colorado State University (CSU) forecast , released on April 7, predict a season with above-normal activity— for the seventh consecutive year.

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Beyond Magical Thinking: Time to Get Real on Climate Change

Yale E360

Despite decades of studies and climate summits, greenhouse gas emissions continue to soar. Energy scientist Vaclav Smil says it’s time to stop ricocheting between apocalyptic forecasts and rosy models of rapid CO2 cuts and focus on the difficult task of remaking our energy system. Read more on E360 ?.

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Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Packaging Demand Increases

Environment + Energy Leader

Demand for plastic packaging recycling continues to increase with many industries making advancements regarding the practice. The post Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic Packaging Demand Increases appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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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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Rare X-rays from white-dwarf explosion spotted by chance

Physics World

Astronomers have made the first observations of X-rays being emitted from a white-dwarf star that has burst into life while stripping material from a companion star. The process caused a thermonuclear runaway that resulted in a massive explosion or nova. Ole König a PhD student at the Dr Karl Remeis-Observatory and Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics at Friedrich-Alexander-University, Germany?

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Common steroids after ‘long Covid’ recovery may cut risk of death by up to 51%

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer. Researchers show that severe inflammation during hospitalization for Covid-19 increases risk of death within one year from seeming recovery by 61%. This risk is reduced again by 51% if anti-inflammatory steroids are prescribed upon discharge. We need to think of Covid-19 as a potentially chronic disease that requires long-term management, argue the authors.

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Ask a Scientist: Two Dozen States Can Meet 100 Percent of Electricity Demand with Renewables by 2035

Union of Concerned Scientists

Since its founding in 2017, the US Climate Alliance —a coalition of states committed to meeting the goals of the Paris climate accord—has grown to 24 states and one US territory. All told, they represent 56 percent of the US population, generate 62 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, and are responsible for 43 percent of the country’s annual carbon emissions.

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Salt Scourge: The Dual Threat of Warming and Rising Salinity

Yale E360

As rising seas increase saltwater intrusion and soaring temperatures cause greater evaporation, scientists say that the mounting levels of salt in waters and in soils pose a major climate-related danger and could become a leading cause of climate migration globally. Read more on E360 ?.

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Individual Progress in the Fashion Industry Is Undermined by Wider Inaction

Environment + Energy Leader

The BoF Sustainability Index 2022 finds that incremental progress among a handful of larger players assessed last year is eclipsed by wider industry inaction, as the time left for fashion to curb its impact by 2030 – a milestone for global sustainability goals – runs short. . The post Individual Progress in the Fashion Industry Is Undermined by Wider Inaction appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Fifth force could explain puzzling orbits of dwarf galaxies

Physics World

New physics, in the form of a “fifth force”, could be responsible for the odd and unexplained arrangement of dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way and other large galaxies – according to new research done it the UK. The new force could also shed light on the nature of dark matter, a mysterious substance that accounts for about 85% of the matter in the universe.

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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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10 endangered species that will suffer if Highway 413 is built

Enviromental Defense

It’s not an exaggeration to say that Highway 413 would be a disaster for Southern Ontario’s endangered species. . Without even accounting for future highway widening and all the sprawl development that will come with it, the project would destroy around 1000 hectares (nearly 2,500 acres) of significant natural areas, including Greenbelt land and the Nashville Conservation Reserve.

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Many Rural Towns Have Neglected Drinking Water Systems for Decades

Circle of Blue

Many Rural Towns Have Neglected Drinking Water Systems for Decades As some rural towns lose population and government funds shrink, some drinking water systems are one failure away from crisis. Throughout the Great Lakes region and across the U.S., water systems are aging. In some communities, this means water bills that residents can’t afford or water that’s unsafe to drink.

Politics 299
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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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Germany Slashes Summer Train Fares More Than 90 Percent to Curb Driving, Save Fuel

Yale E360

Germany's parliament has set summer train fares at 9 euros per month in a bid to slash pollution and curb imports of Russian oil by spurring drivers to take public transit. Read more on E360 ?.

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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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Mandarin Oriental Sets Energy, Emissions, Waste, and Water Reduction Targets

Environment + Energy Leader

In 2012, the Mandarin Oriental set out to make a lasting impact — sustainability-wise. The company has been striving to reduce its environmental footprint by setting bold energy, emissions, waste, and water targets. Its goal has been to reduce its overall footprint by 20–25% across these targets. The post Mandarin Oriental Sets Energy, Emissions, Waste, and Water Reduction Targets appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Control of mechanical quantum resonators reaches new levels of precision

Physics World

New levels of precision control over the quantized energy levels of mechanical resonators have been achieved by teams in the US and Switzerland, who independently measured the number of phonons in a cavity without disturbing it. In addition, the US group produced an entangling gate comprising two nanomechanical oscillators. The work could potentially have implications for quantum networking and quantum error correction.

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Meet the Real Ocean Animals of The Little Mermaid

Ocean Conservancy

There aren’t many movies that make me want to sing as much as the classic Disney princess film The Little Mermaid. From “Under the Sea” to “Part of Your World,” this fin -credible 1989 animated production boasts a cast with some characters based on real ocean species … but, I have to say, some of them might be surprising. Is Sebastian really a crab?

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Five Fixes for Michigan’s Drinking Water Woes

Circle of Blue

Five Fixes for Michigan’s Drinking Water Woes The Great Lakes News Collaborative asked state and national experts how Michigan could break the cycle of underfunding and poor decision-making that has left water systems across Michigan in sorry shape. Throughout the Great Lakes region and across the U.S., water systems are aging. In some communities, this means water bills that residents can’t afford or water that’s unsafe to drink.

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Environmental Groups say: Enough is Enough. It’s time to make building new Superhighways in the Greenbelt illegal

Enviromental Defense

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – New multi-lane superhighways threaten the farms, forests and wetlands of the Greenbelt and need to be banned to protect Ontario’s water, air, food, wildlife, access to nature and our climate. This is why five organizations are calling on all political parties in Ontario’s June 2nd election to commit to making a legislative amendment to the Greenbelt A

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More Heat, More Drought: New Analyses Offer Grim Outlook for the U.S. West.

Yale E360

The ongoing drought in the U.S. West is expected to persist through this summer, raising the risk of water shortages and wildfires. While California, Arizona, and New Mexico are now facing the brunt of the drought, new research suggests that Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming will increasingly come to look like the Southwest as temperatures continue to rise.

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Individual Progress in the Fashion Industry Is Undermined by Wider Inaction

Environment + Energy Leader

The BoF Sustainability Index 2022 finds that incremental progress among a handful of larger players assessed last year is eclipsed by wider industry inaction, as the time left for fashion to curb its impact by 2030 – a milestone for global sustainability goals – runs short. . The post Individual Progress in the Fashion Industry Is Undermined by Wider Inaction appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Far-UVC light zaps airborne pathogens in realistic conditions

Physics World

Far ultraviolet-C light can reduce the level of airborne microbes in a room by more than 92%, according to a new study by researchers in the UK and the US. The result suggests that lamps operating at this wavelength could be used to combat common airborne viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and thus prevent the transmission of diseases like COVID-19. While ordinary UVC light is very effective at destroying microbes like bacteria and viruses, it is hazardous for humans because it can damage skin and e

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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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What’s Up With Water — May 10, 2022

Circle of Blue

This week’s episode of What’s Up With Water covers recent heatwaves in India and Pakistan and the reason some homes in Australia may become “uninsurable.” Plus, Circle of Blue reports on how rising water costs in Michigan are impacting low-income households. Transcript. Welcome to “What’s Up With Water” – your need-to-know news of the world’s water from Circle of Blue.

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New Study Says World Must Cut Short-Lived Climate Pollutants as Well as Carbon Dioxide to Meet Paris Agreement Goals

Inside Climate News

Cutting only CO2 emissions, but failing to rein in methane, HFCs and soot, will speed global warming in the coming decades and only slow it later this century. By Phil McKenna Climate policies that rely on decarbonization alone are not enough to hold atmospheric warming below 2 degrees Celsius and, rather than curbing climate change, would fuel additional warming in the near term, a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concludes.

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In Tanzania, Carbon Offsets Preserve Forests and a Way of Life

Yale E360

Carbon offsets have been criticized for failing to provide carbon savings and ignoring the needs of local communities. But in Tanzania, hunter-gatherer tribes are earning a good return for their carbon credits and protecting their forests from poachers and encroaching agriculture. Read more on E360 ?.

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Mandarin Oriental Sets Energy, Emissions, Waste, and Water Reduction Targets

Environment + Energy Leader

In 2012, the Mandarin Oriental set out to make a lasting impact — sustainability-wise. The company has been striving to reduce its environmental footprint by setting bold energy, emissions, waste, and water targets. Its goal has been to reduce its overall footprint by 20–25% across these targets. The post Mandarin Oriental Sets Energy, Emissions, Waste, and Water Reduction Targets appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

Waste 246
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Undersea muon detectors monitor variations in water depth

Physics World

Under the sea: several of the muon detectors in the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line tunnel. (Courtesy: Tanaka et al / Scientific Reports ). An array of undersea muon detectors that monitors variations in water depth has been created by an international team of researchers. The system comprises a line of sensors that were installed in a road tunnel beneath Tokyo Bay by Hiroyuki Tanaka at the University of Tokyo and colleagues.

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This illusion, new to science, is strong enough to trick our reflexes

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer. An illusion new to science shows that the pupillary light reflex, which controls the width of the pupil in anticipation of expected changes in light, depends on the perceived environment rather than the physical reality. Have a look at the above image. Do you perceive that the central black hole is expanding, as if you’re moving into a dark environment, or falling into a hole?

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After Decades of Neglect, Bill Coming Due for Michigan’s Water Infrastructure

Circle of Blue

Throughout the Great Lakes region and across the U.S., water systems are aging. In some communities, this means water bills that residents can’t afford or water that’s unsafe to drink. It means that vulnerable systems are even more at risk in a changing climate. From shrinking cities and small towns to the comparatively thriving suburbs, the true cost of water has been deferred for decades.

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5 Facts About Mudskippers

Ocean Conservancy

The next time you happen to step in some mud, keep an eye out for the mudskipper: the fish that can walk. This curious creature is known for many wacky traits, including its crazy-looking frog eyes and the fact that it can live out of water. These wild facts are just the start when it comes to mudskippers. (Keep in mind there are at least 25 species of mudskippers walking around, each with their own unique qualities!

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As Conflict Persists, Gold Mining Boom Is Ravaging Myanmar

Yale E360

With a military junta retaking power last year, a gold rush is increasingly despoiling rivers in the Myanmar state of Kachin, polluting water with mercury, destroying riverbanks and farmland, and disrupting the traditional way of life of the region’s ethnic groups. Read more on E360 ?.

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In-House Counsel Takes a Leadership Role in Driving Companies’ ESG Strategies

Environment + Energy Leader

In-house counsel overwhelmingly take a leadership role in driving their companies’ ESG strategy, according to Morrison Foerster’s “GCs and ESG” survey. The post In-House Counsel Takes a Leadership Role in Driving Companies’ ESG Strategies appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Focused ultrasound: a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes?

Physics World

Ultrasound neuromodulation can prevent the onset of hyperglycaemia or reverse type 2 diabetes in laboratory mice, rats and pigs, according to new research published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. A multi-institutional team of scientists used peripheral focused ultrasound (pFUS) to stimulate the nerves controlling the hepatic portal system (which returns blood from the digestive tract and spleen to the liver), both neuronal liver–brain pathways.