July, 2021

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Rapid attribution of PNW heatwave

Real Climate

Summary: It was almost impossible for the temperatures seen recently in the Pacific North West heatwave to have occurred without global warming. And only improbable with it. It’s been clear for at least a decade that global warming has been in general increasing the intensity of heat waves, with clear trends in observed maximum temperatures that match what climate models have been predicting.

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Once a Rich Desert River, the Gila Struggles to Keep Flowing

Yale E360

The Gila was once a vibrant desert river, providing a lifeline for the riparian habitat and wildlife that depended on it in the U.S. Southwest. But population growth, agricultural withdrawals, and, increasingly, climate change have badly diminished the river and threaten its future. Read more on E360 ?.

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Constant, Compounding Disasters Are Exhausting Emergency Response

Circle of Blue

Fires, droughts, floods, power outages. The interval between disasters is shortening, or in some cases disappearing altogether. New homes rise from the post-fire rubble in Talent, Oregon. The Alameda Fire destroyed thousands of homes in Talent and nearby Phoenix in early September 2020. Photo © Brett Walton/Circle of Blue. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue — July 6, 2021.

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Unveiling the Public Health Burden of Natural Gas

Union of Concerned Scientists

Environmental health has always been of concern to me, as it is to many of us. Climate change has affected our lives in seemingly inconsequential but sad ways, like white Christmases becoming green Christmases just within the span of my childhood, but also in substantial ways, like excessively hot summers and increased flooding, to name […].

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Manufacturing Sustainability Surge: Your Guide to Data-Driven Energy Optimization & Decarbonization

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.

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Japanese Nobel-prize-winning particle physicist Toshihide Maskawa dies aged 81

Physics World

The Japanese Nobel-prize-winning physicist Toshihide Maskawa died on 23 July at the age of 81. Maskawa shared half the 2008 Nobel prize with the Japanese physicist Makoto Kobayashi for their work on the mechanism of “broken symmetry” that led to the prediction of a new family of quarks. The other half was awarded to the Japanese–American particle physicist Yoichiro Nambu for applying spontaneous symmetry breaking to particle physics.

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Tomato fruits send electrical warnings to the rest of the plant when attacked by insects

Frontiers

By K.E.D Coan, science writer. Image: Eugenegurkov/Shutterstock. Tomato fruits inform the mother plant when they are being eaten by caterpillars, shows a new study. Little is known about whether a fruit can communicate with the plant to which it’s attached, which could be important for warning the plant of threats. This early evidence shows that pest attacks do trigger defensive electrical and biochemical responses across the plant.

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Urban Refuge: How Cities Can Help Solve the Biodiversity Crisis

Yale E360

Cities have long been considered species deserts, devoid of wildlife beyond pigeons and squirrels. But with animals such as snowy owls, otters and bobcats now appearing in urban areas, scientists are recognizing that cities can play a significant role in fostering biodiversity. Read more on E360 ?.

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Detroit Flooding Previews Risks from a Warming Climate

Circle of Blue

Warmer global temperatures cause more water to evaporate from Earth’s surface and oceans, meaning that there is more fuel for storms. Notorious4life. Urban infrastructure in many cities was not built for current and future climate pressures. By Laura Gersony, Circle of Blue — July 1, 2021. Six inches of rain battered the Detroit metro area last weekend, a deluge that overwhelmed the region’s drainage system.

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Ask a Scientist: Defending the Right to Vote

Union of Concerned Scientists

Talking to Taryn MacKinney, an investigative researcher with our Center for Science and Democracy, about how science is intertwined with democracy and the prospects for voting reform bills on Capitol Hill.

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Cosmic-ray threat to quantum computing greater than previously thought

Physics World

Cosmic intruders : Energetic particles from space and natural background radiation can trigger hard-to-correct errors when they collide with chips containing superconducting qubits. (Courtesy: Chris Wilen). Quantum computers may need a redesign to protect them from background radiation, say physicists. After earlier experiments showed that cosmic rays can severely disrupt the operation of superconducting quantum bits (qubits), an international team led by Robert McDermott of the University of Wi

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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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Just 25 mega-cities produce 52% of the world’s urban greenhouse gas emissions

Frontiers

By Suzanna Burgelman, Frontiers science writer. Image: Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock. New research published by the open access publisher Frontiers inventories greenhouse gas emissions of 167 globally distributed cities. The study shows that just 25 mega-cities produce 52% of the greenhouse gas emissions from the studied cities. Asian cities emit the most greenhouse gasses (GHG), and most cities of developed countries had significantly higher per capita GHG emissions than those of developing count

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Can Arctic Animals Keep Up With Climate Change? Scientists are Trying to Find Out

Inside Climate News

New studies suggest that rising temperatures may prove disastrous for species of birds, fish and other animals that are adapted to the cold of Arctic climes. By Haley Dunleavy In 2019, Emily Choy rappelled off the side of a guano-covered cliff almost 400 feet above Hudson Bay, and reached for a sleek black-and-white seabird. The laughing calls of more than 60,000 thick-billed murres surrounded her.

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Land Grabbers: The Growing Assault on Brazil’s Indigenous Areas

Yale E360

Under President Jair Bolsonaro, illegal miners, loggers and ranchers are invading and occupying ever-larger amounts of Indigenous territory. Brazil’s original inhabitants are increasingly opposing these incursions, leading to conflicts and a surge in killings of local activists. Read more on E360 ?.

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Cheap Cybersecurity Defenses Exist, But They’re Not Reaching Water Utilities Who Need Them

Circle of Blue

An era of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure has begun. Rural water utilities have vulnerabilities and advantages. The vast majority of water utilities in the country serve fewer than 10,000 people. These utilities face unique challenges in defending themselves against cyberattacks. Photo courtesy of Colin / Wikimedia Commons. The vast majority of water utilities in the country serve fewer than 10,000 people, and they tend to have less resources and tighter budgets than their larger counter

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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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We’re in a Climate Crisis. Congress Must Go Big on Climate Action Now.

Union of Concerned Scientists

Top priorities for Congressional action on climate change.

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PET imaging tracks ingested microplastics in mice

Physics World

Microplastics, tiny pieces of plastic debris less than five millimetres in length, are designed for commercial use or created through the breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste. They litter our oceans , they have been detected in everything from aquatic life to drinking water, and they take lifetimes or longer to decompose. In 2019, the World Health Organization called for more research on the effects of microplastics to the environment and human health.

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Meet Our Ocean’s Zebra Sharks

Ocean Conservancy

You’ve heard of great whites. You’ve heard of hammerheads. And you’ve probably heard of makos, whale sharks and bull sharks. But have you heard … of zebra sharks? Move over, tiger sharks—there’s a new wildly-named elasmobranch species in town, and they’re here to show their stripes (sort of). Today, I’m here to walk you through seven sea -riously wild facts about this curious carpet shark species.

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Planes Sampling Air Above the Amazon Find the Rainforest is Releasing More Carbon Than it Stores

Inside Climate News

The study, which found greater depletion of carbon storage in the heavily deforested eastern Amazon, confirmed previous research that used satellites or hands-on measuring techniques. By Georgina Gustin Over the last several years researchers have said that the Amazon is on the verge of transforming from a crucial storehouse for heat-trapping gasses to a source of them, a dangerous shift that could destabilize the atmosphere of the planet.

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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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Will Russia’s Forests Be an Asset or an Obstacle in Climate Fight?

Yale E360

New research indicating Russia’s vast forests store more carbon than previously estimated would seem like good news. But scientists are concerned Russia will count this carbon uptake as an offset in its climate commitments, which would allow its emissions to continue unchecked. Read more on E360 ?.

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Lower Duffins Creek Wetland is finally protected from destruction

Enviromental Defense

ECOJUSTICE, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, ONTARIO NATURE. Ontario government revokes MZO following pressure from local, environmental and Indigenous Groups. Toronto, Ont./ Traditional territories of several First Nations including the Williams Treaties First Nations, Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – Ecojustice, Environmental Defence and Ontario Nature are celebrating an important victory for the Provincially Significant Wetlands

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AI Designs Quantum Physics Experiments Beyond What Any Human Has Conceived

Scientific American

Originally built to speed up calculations, a machine-learning system is now making shocking progress at the frontiers of experimental quantum physics. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.

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Highly programmable quantum simulator operates with up to 256 qubits

Physics World

Physicists have demonstrated a large-scale, programmable quantum simulator, featuring a precisely-arranged two-dimensional array of 256 quantum bits (qubits). Designed by a team headed up at Harvard University , the system uses arrays of highly focused laser beams to trap individual atoms and drag them into desirable arrangements. The design, which the researchers describe in Nature , marks a key step forward in the global race to design larger, more reliable quantum computers, and could signifi

2017 145
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The Glass Octopus is See-Through and Spectacular

Ocean Conservancy

Need a reminder that our ocean is full of unusual animals? Look no further than the glass octopus. The glass octopus ( Vitreledonella richardi ) is a very rarely seen cephalopod found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. The species gets its name from its nearly-transparent body—you can see straight through to the optic nerve, eyes and digestive tract.

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A Week After the Pacific Northwest Heat Wave, Study Shows it Was ‘Almost Impossible’ Without Global Warming

Inside Climate News

The extreme temperatures have shaken scientists’ fundamental understanding of heat waves and triggered concerns about a climate tipping point. By Bob Berwyn The high temperatures in late June that killed hundreds of people in Oregon, Washington and Canada were so unusual that they couldn’t have happened without a boost from human-caused global warming, researchers said Wednesday when they released a rapid climate attribution study of the heat wave in the Pacific Northwest.

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Can Retrofitting Dams for Hydro Provide a Green Energy Boost?

Yale E360

With the era of building big dams over in the U.S., a growing number of existing dams are being modified to produce hydropower. These projects, advocates say, avoid the damaging impacts of new dams and could generate enough renewable electricity for several million homes. Read more on E360 ?.

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Covid-19 news: England unlocks as UK cases continue to soar

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

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Communities rally across the GTA to say No More Highways

Enviromental Defense

On Saturday, July 24th, communities and volunteers across the Greater Toronto Area turned out in the face of a pandemic and the threat of severe thunderstorms to stand up and say to the Ontario government: “No More Highways!” . The message of No More Highways is first and foremost about saying no to the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413, two proposed new 400-series highways which would pave over parts of the Greenbelt, destroy endangered species’ habitats, and open up huge areas of prime farmland

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Elemental forms of metals discovered in brains of Alzheimer’s patients

Physics World

Approximately 10 metals occur in the human body naturally as chemical compounds that are stored and used by tissues. Copper and iron oxides, in particular, are required for cellular activities throughout the body. When the body mishandles or incorrectly processes these copper and iron oxides, however, tissue damage – especially in the brain – can occur.

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Dr. Lynette Hart – Be open-minded and resourceful: insights from the life of an Animal Behaviorist #WomeninScience

Frontiers

Author: Emma Phipps, Journal Specialist. This week, we speak to Dr. Lynette Hart, Professor at UC Davis. Dr. Hart’s research primarily focuses on human-animal interactions, an interest which stemmed from her passion for animal behavior and has taken her all over the world. We discussed her impressive career and the importance of always keeping an eye out for new opportunities.

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Ice Dam Bursts Threaten to Increase Sunny Day Floods as Hotter Temperatures Melt Glaciers

Inside Climate News

Scientists say meltwater flooding will increase as the ice continues to retreat, but will eventually stop—when all the ice is melted and the glaciers are no more. By Haley Dunleavy As residents of southeast Alaska welcomed the return of sunny, warm weather this week after two months of heavy rains, they probably did not expect floods to be in the forecast.

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The Race for EV Parts Leads to Risky Deep-Ocean Mining

Yale E360

The electric vehicle boom is driving a surge in demand for prized metals needed for batteries and other components. Some companies say the solution lies in mining the deep oceans, but scientists say that could irreversibly damage a vast, largely pristine ecosystem. Read more on E360 ?.

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Siemens Tests LOHC Technology For Hydrogen Trains

Environmental Leader

In its latest move to advance hydrogen trains, Siemens Mobility will begin testing liquid organic hydrogen carrier technology (LOHC) technology in partnership with Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg for Renewable Energy. The LOHC technology involves an organic carrier liquid absorbing hydrogen, releasing it only when required, which stops hydrogen escaping as a.

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Traded wild animals carry 75 per cent of diseases humans can catch

New Scientist

More than a quarter of mammals bought and sold in the wildlife trade play host to three quarters of infectious diseases capable of spilling over from animals to humans

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