March, 2025

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Earth’s Land Masses Are Drying Out Fast, Scientists Warn

Inside Climate News

Researchers comparing satellite measurements of the planets water with the wobble in its rotation identified a steady loss of global soil moisture. By Bob Berwyn Earth has lost enough soil moisture in the last 40 years to change the planets spin and shift the location of the North Pole, according to a new study published today in Science that tracks how human activities have disrupted the global water cycle.

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The Fossil Fuel Industry’s Lasting Imprint on Global Sea Levels 

Union of Concerned Scientists

The fossil fuel industrys role in driving climate change is undeniable, yet corporate accountability remains a contested space. As the scientific evidence strengthens, courts around the world are increasingly considering the role of major fossil fuel companies in climate-related damages. Our latest research published today in Environmental Research Letters adds a critical piece to this legal and scientific puzzle by quantifying how emissions from the worlds largest fossil fuel and cement produce

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Making Polluters Pay for Climate Consequences

Legal Planet

The dramatic increase in extreme weather events has been wreaking havoc on states across the country, from devastating fires, floods, and droughts to rising sea levels. As a member of the Board for the American Red Cross Pacific Coast Region, I have seen firsthand how the organization is responding to twice as many climate-related disasters as we were just a decade ago.

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Climate change in Africa

Real Climate

While there have been some recent set-backs within science and climate research and disturbing news about NOAA , there is also continuing efforts on responding to climate change. During my travels to Mozambique and Ghana, I could sense a real appreciation for knowledge, and an eagerness to learn how to calculate risks connected to climate change. Recent events have shown incredibly high rainfall amounts that have devastated cities and countries , as well as droughts that have exacerbated the ris

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Precision in Motion: Why Process Optimization Is the Future of Manufacturing

Speaker: Jason Chester, Director, Product Management

In today’s manufacturing landscape, staying competitive means moving beyond reactive quality checks and toward real-time, data-driven process control. But what does true manufacturing process optimization look like—and why is it more urgent now than ever? Join Jason Chester in this new, thought-provoking session on how modern manufacturers are rethinking quality operations from the ground up.

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Master Watershed Steward Dean Neely Takes A Hands-On Approach To Conservation In Monroe County

PA Environment Daily

By Kelly Jedrzejewski, Penn State News For Master Watershed Steward volunteer Dean Neely, preserving Pennsylvania waters, forests and lands for future generations is a priority. He is happy to roll up his sleeves to take on conservation projects throughout Monroe County. Neely said he always has loved the outdoors and was involved with the Pocono Heritage Land Trust and the Brodhead Creek Heritage Center before becoming a Master Watershed Steward.

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Coming Back to Earth with Agroecology: Regenerating Our Soils and Our Communities Out of Agrochemical-Heavy Conventional Farming

Vermont Law

Coming Back to Earth with Agroecology: Regenerating Our Soils and Our Communities Out of Agrochemical-Heavy Conventional Farming By Ilinca Johnson Agriculture could become one of the greatest mitigation forces of climate change, as well as remedy and prevent environmental justice issues in the American food system. Currently, the ability of the food system to meet food security needs is threatened by soil erosion, which is created by climate change, and conventional farming practices.

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How Major Carbon Producers Drive Sea Level Rise and Climate Injustice

Union of Concerned Scientists

In a new study released today, UCS attributes substantial temperature and sea level rise to emissions traced to the largest fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers. And for the first time, we extend sea level projections into the future, quantifying how past heat-trapping emissions from the fossil fuel industry will impact the world for centuries to come.

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Success! Removing the Klamath Dams

Legal Planet

(Klamath River Dam removal project [credit: Los Angeles Times]) Most of the environmental law and policy matters discussed on Legal Planet–especially over the past few months–have dealt with natural resource crises, environmental rollbacks, hostile political actors and actions in Washington, D.C., etc. So let me take this opportunity to share an upbeat and inspirational environmental story in these otherwise troubled environmental times.

Law
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We need NOAA now more than ever

Real Climate

Guest commentary by Robert Hart, Kerry Emanuel , & Lance Bosart The National Weather Service (NWS) and its parent agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), delivers remarkable value to the taxpayers. This efficiency can be demonstrated by its enormous return on investment. For example, the NWS costs only several dollars per citizen to operate each year, yet results in an estimated 10-100 times larger financial return that includes: improved citizen preparedness, imp

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Natural Lands Preserves 2 Forested Properties Totaling 151 Acres In Berks, Lancaster, Lebanon Counties

PA Environment Daily

On March 19, Natural Lands announced the preservation of two wooded properties that were transferred to state agencies. They provide critical habitat for migratory songbirds and other wildlife. The acreage will now be open to the public for visitation and recreation and will never be developed. The first property is a nearly 139-acre forested tract in both Heidelberg Township, Lebanon County, and Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County.

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The Key to Sustainable Energy Optimization: A Data-Driven Approach for Manufacturing

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. 📊 Join us for a practical webinar hosted by Kevin Kai Wong of Emergent Ene

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A Comparison of the Biden and Trump Administration’s Energy Policy and Coal Leasing in the Powder River Basin

Vermont Law

A Comparison of the Biden and Trump Administration’s Energy Policy and Coal Leasing in the Powder River Basin by Drew Collins The 2024 election of President Trump brings rapid changes in the ways America will get its energy. President Trump clearly expressed his intentions to unleash American energy during his second administration. These intentions will undoubtedly affect the Powder River Basin (PRB), an area which President Biden banned from new coal leasingin 2024.

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What’s the Buzz: Designing adaptive seed mixes and practices for Conservation Reverse Program Easements

HumanNature

Guest Post by Amy Gill , 2024-2025 Sustainability Leadership Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Forest & Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University Its no secret that pollinator species across the US are endangered, but the massive and potentially catastrophic consequences of pollinator extinction may not be as well known. Land degradation and climate change continue to diminish many ecosystem services across dryland regions including decreased native bee and insect popu

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The Long History of Climate Models

Union of Concerned Scientists

Climate models are the main tool scientists use to assess how much the Earths temperature will change given an increase in fossil fuel pollutants in the atmosphere. As a climate scientist, Ive used them in all my research projects, including one predicting a change in Southwestern US precipitation patterns. But how exactly did climate models come to be?

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Our 2012 Report Predicted the Future of Electric Vehicles in 2025: How Off Were We?

Legal Planet

Back in 2012, CLEE and the Emmett Institute released a report called Electric Drive by 25, with the relatively bold subtitle How California Can Catalyze Mass Adoption of Electric Vehicles by 2025. The report cited 2011-12 EV sales as reason for optimism on achieving mass adoption by 2025: Early results from the introduction of new electric vehicles to the U.S. market have been promising, with sales of both Nissan LEAFs and Chevy Volts outselling the popular hybrid Toyota Prius in its first yea

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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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Andean glaciers have shrunk more than ever before in the entire Holocene

Real Climate

Glaciers are important indicators of climate change. A recent study published in the leading journal Science shows that glaciers in the tropical Andes have now retreated further than at any other time in the entire Holocene – which covers the whole history of human civilisation since the invention of agriculture. These findings are likely to resonate beyond the scientific community, as they strongly support the lawsuit filed by a Peruvian farmer against the energy company RWE, which has re

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Penn State Research: Reusing Old Oil And Gas Wells For Energy Storage Using Compressed Air Technology

PA Environment Daily

By Matthew Carroll, Penn State News Moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like wind and solar will require better ways to store energy for use when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. A new study by researchers at Penn State found that taking advantage of natural geothermal heat in depleted oil and gas wells can improve the efficiency of one proposed energy storage solution: compressed-air energy storage (CAES).

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Trump Threatens Great Lakes Agreements Between U.S. and Canada

Circle of Blue

By Gary Wilson In 2024 when Donald Trump as a presidential candidate proposed piping water from British Columbia, Canada to California, his statement was largely dismissed as campaign rhetoric. Once he was elected, Canadians started paying attention but the potential water grab was seen as logistically and politically problematic and unlikely to gain traction.

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Alberta continues to depend on dirty money for economic well-being

Enviromental Defense

Four decades ago, Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed came to power, with the promise to make the provinces economy less dependent on the fluctuating price of oil and gas. Yet decades on, the provinces finances are still heavily reliant on royalties from bitumen sales to the United States, and natural gas sales across Canada and around the world. Progress has been made.

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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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Delays and Disagreements: The IPCC’s Struggle to Stay on Course

Union of Concerned Scientists

This past week, I attended the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting in Hangzhou, China. Delegates from nearly 190 nations came together to discussand, in theory, make decisions aboutnext steps for the 7th assessment cycle. In previous posts, Ive explained what the IPCC is, why this assessment cycle is crucial , and highlighted its role in climate action.

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How to Lie with Percentages

Legal Planet

A mans assets are only 0.2% of U.S. wealth. A regulation costs only 0.004% of U.S. GDP per year. A disease kills 0.1% of the population annually. That all sounds pretty minor, doesnt it? But . The man – Elon Musk is worth over $246 billion. The regulation costs a billion dollars per year. The disease breast cancer kills 42,000 American per year.

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WMO: Update on 2023/4 Anomalies

Real Climate

The WMO released its (now) annual s tate of the climate report this week. As well as the (now) standard set of graphs related to increasing greenhouse gas concentrations , rising temperatures , reducing glacier mass, etc., Zeke Hausfather and I wrote up a short synthesis on the contributions to recent temperature anomalies. Readers will recall our previou s discussions on the anomalies in 2023 in particular, and the myriad of ideas that people have published to explain them.

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EPA Advances Major Cleanup Plan For Jackson Ceramix Superfund Site In Jefferson County

PA Environment Daily

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making significant progress in addressing contamination at the Jackson Ceramix Superfund site in Falls Creek Borough in Jefferson County. During a community meeting held March 12, the EPA announced the start of final remedial actions in support of the Borough's redevelopment goals and the overall mission of protecting human health and the environment.

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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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[Act] of all trades, litigable to none: A Critical Examination of Malaysia’s Proposed Climate Change Bill

Law Columbia

Malaysia is at high risk from the effects of climate change. Flooding has become an almost-yearly natural disaster, with the frequency and severity of flood events increasing in recent decades. Research suggests that for every 1C rise in temperature, rice yields decline between 4.6 and 6.1%, with net revenue falling by MYR 442.42 (~USD 99.52) per ha.

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Climate Change and World Conflict: A Crucial Juncture

Vermont Law

Climate Change and World Conflict: A Crucial Juncture By Ian Lopez As the world approaches a critical juncture on climate and energy policies in the face of accelerating global warming, policymakers face difficult choices. Yet, over the past five years, global conflict continues to produce new and pressing concerns for policymakers. Rather than considering these developments separately, they should be understood as intertwined; while not directly correlated, they greatly influence one another.

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Delays and Disagreements: The IPCC’s Struggle to Stay on Course

Union of Concerned Scientists

This past week, I attended the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) meeting in Hangzhou, China. Delegates from nearly 190 nations came together to discussand, in theory, make decisions aboutnext steps for the 7th assessment cycle. In previous posts, Ive explained what the IPCC is, why this assessment cycle is crucial , and highlighted its role in climate action.

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Global Warming Will Weaken Earth’s Strongest Ocean Current

Inside Climate News

The slowdown of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current could have 'dire' consequences, including greater climate variability and accelerated global warming. By Bob Berwyn Fresh water from melting Antarctic ice is projected to weaken the worlds most powerful ocean current by 20 percent in the next quarter century, an international team of scientists concluded in a study published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

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How to Modernize Manufacturing Without Losing Control

Speaker: Andrew Skoog, Founder of MachinistX & President of Hexis Representatives

Manufacturing is evolving, and the right technology can empower—not replace—your workforce. Smart automation and AI-driven software are revolutionizing decision-making, optimizing processes, and improving efficiency. But how do you implement these tools with confidence and ensure they complement human expertise rather than override it? Join industry expert Andrew Skoog as he explores how manufacturers can leverage automation to enhance operations, streamline workflows, and make smarter, data-dri

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We Need NOAA to Keep Fishing Communities Strong

Ocean Conservancy

The United States has long recognized the link between our ocean and our economy. For nearly 50 years, bipartisan congressional leadership has designed and built a world-class science and management system with the goal of conserving our living marine resources for the good of the American people. Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) supports that vision by helping us better understand, predict and protect the ocean and coastal communities from threats that could upe

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Steelton-Highspire School District, Tröegs Independent Brewing Show Benefits Of Going Solar, Driving Electric Busses In Dauphin County

PA Environment Daily

On March 14, a tour of Steelton-Highspire School District facilities and Tregs Independent Brewing in Dauphin County shows the benefits of going solar and electric school buses. Local officials and residents, including Sen. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin), Rep. Dave Madsen (D-Dauphin), Steelton Manager Kathy McCool, and Highspire Mayor Von Hess, joined leaders from Steelton-Highspire School District, the nonprofit environmental group PennEnvironment , McClure Company , and First Student for an informative

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New York City’s Building Electrification Law Wins in District Court

Law Columbia

Last week, building electrification secured an important victory in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. In Association of Contracting Plumbers of The City of New York, Inc. et al v. City of New York , plumbing and building trade groups challenged New York Citys Local Law 154 of 2021 , a piece of legislation that prohibits fossil fuel combustion in most new buildings.

Law
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Five Reasons Renewable Energy Developers are Losing Confidence in Ontario

Enviromental Defense

In 2024, renewable energy developers had all the right reasons to be optimistic about the prospect of building solar and wind installations in Ontario: Energy and Electrification Minister Stephen Lecce touted the upcoming power purchase as being technology agnostic with a focus on the lowest cost resources” The last procurement under the former Minister of Energy revealed that gas is expensive: battery storage beat out gas on price by a wide margin.

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How to Drive Cost Savings, Efficiency Gains, and Sustainability Wins with MES

Speaker: Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions

Is your manufacturing operation reaching its efficiency potential? A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) could be the game-changer, helping you reduce waste, cut costs, and lower your carbon footprint. Join Nikhil Joshi, Founder & President of Snic Solutions, in this value-packed webinar as he breaks down how MES can drive operational excellence and sustainability.