Sat.May 21, 2022 - Fri.May 27, 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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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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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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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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What’s Up With Water — May 24, 2022

Circle of Blue

This week’s episode of What’s Up With Water covers heatwaves in India, dam removal across Europe, and a groundwater conservation proposal in Arizona. . Transcript. Welcome to “What’s Up With Water” – your need-to-know news of the world’s water from Circle of Blue. I’m Eileen Wray-McCann. In India, grueling pre-monsoon heat continues to wreak havoc, pushing air temperatures above 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Big Oil Investors Put to the Test at Annual Shareholder Meetings

Union of Concerned Scientists

This week is the culmination of major oil and gas companies’ annual general meetings, also known as annual shareholder meetings. As in previous years, climate-related shareholder proposals are on the agenda for Shell , ExxonMobil and Chevron , and climate advocates are urging major investors, including BlackRock , to vote for climate action. Two key things have changed since last year: 1) Evidence has piled up that sharp cuts in fossil fuels are needed to keep the goals of the Paris climate agre

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A Waterway Project in Brazil Imperils a Vast Tropical Wetland

Yale E360

The Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, has been battered in recent years by agricultural development, drought, and fire. Now, a push to turn the region’s key river into a waterway for soybean-laden barges threatens to alter the natural flows of this iconic ecosystem. Read more on E360 ?.

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Water’s True Cost Photo Essay

Circle of Blue

Water’s True Cost The quality of Michigan’s water infrastructure and the consequences of failure, while still real and apparent, are no longer being ignored. Photos by J. Carl Ganter, Circle of Blue — May 23, 2022. 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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A Year After the Shell Ruling: Big Victories and Next Steps for Climate Litigation

Union of Concerned Scientists

Today marks one year since the precedent-setting court ruling in the Netherlands, which ordered Shell to cut its activities’ carbon emissions by 45 percent compared to 2019 levels to align with the Paris climate agreement. The ruling was a landmark for climate litigation, demonstrating the potential power of the courts to help ensure a just climate future.

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Rolls-Royce Says Carbon-Reduction Programs Are Costly But Create Business Opportunities

Environment + Energy Leader

Rolls-Royce is committed to designing products that be compatible with net-zero operation by 2030. It says that all of its products will be compatible with carbon neutrality by 2050 -- an expensive goal but one that will create value. The post Rolls-Royce Says Carbon-Reduction Programs Are Costly But Create Business Opportunities appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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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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Thawing Permafrost In Sweden Releases Less Methane Than Feared, Study Finds

Yale E360

A study in northern Sweden found that melting permafrost released one tenth as much methane as expected, suggesting emissions from thawing Arctic tundra could be less than previously feared. Read more on E360 ?.

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California AG Launches Investigation into Fossil Fuel and Petrochemical Industries for Plastic Pollution

Law and Environment

On April 28, 2022, the California Attorney General launched an investigation into the “fossil fuel and petrochemical industries for their role in causing and exacerbating the global plastics pollution crisis.” As a first step, the CA AG issued a subpoena to ExxonMobil, “a major source of global plastic pollution, seeking information relating to the company’s role in deceiving the public.

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Building Resilience in Afro-Puerto Rican Community Based on Feminist Practices

Union of Concerned Scientists

September 2022 will mark five years since the destruction and misery caused by Hurricane María in Puerto Rico, and the National Weather Service is forecasting a very active and dangerous hurricane season for 2022. To understand lessons in resilience learned from the hurricane and the response from community-based organizations, I talked at length with Tania Rosario Méndez , Executive Director of Taller Salud , a grassroots organization based in Loíza, Puerto Rico.

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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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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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Maldives Moves Forward With Land Reclamation Project Despite Environmental Concerns

Yale E360

The low-lying island nation of the Maldives is looking to alleviate a shortage of land and help protect against rising seas with a new land reclamation project. Read more on E360 ?.

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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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La construcción de la resiliencia en una comunidad afro-puertorriqueña depende de criterios feministas

Union of Concerned Scientists

En septiembre de 2022 se cumplirán cinco años de la destrucción y miseria causada por el Huracán María en Puerto Rico, y el Servicio Nacional de Meteorología pronostica que la temporada de huracanes de este año será muy activa y peligrosa. Para entender un poco lo que se aprendió sobre resiliencia de cara al huracán y la respuesta de las comunidades, recientemente hablé un buen rato con Tania Rosario Méndez , Directora Ejecutiva de Taller Salud , una organización sin fines de lucro con base en L

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Cancer-killing bacteria evade the immune system

Physics World

Bacterial therapies, in which living bacteria are used to deliver drugs or other payloads to kill cancerous cells, could provide an alternative treatment for a wide range of cancers. When bacteria infiltrate the human body, the immune system triggers a fighting mechanism against the foreign substance, with the aftermath of such events dependent on the potency of the bacterium.

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Ancient Tree in Chile Could Be World's Oldest, Scientists Say

Yale E360

An ancient cypress in southern Chile could be more than 5,000 years old, making it the world's most aged tree, new research finds. Read more on E360 ?.

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Harnessing drainage canals for biodiversity conservation

The Applied Ecologist

A new paper led by Csaba Tölgyesi from the University of Szeged, Hungary, shows that drainage canals can be harnessed for biodiversity conservation in desiccated, heavily transformed regions by reconciling the interests of opposing stakeholders. Drainage and subsequent land cultivation have been a major threat to global wetland ecosystems for centuries.

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Driverless cars could force other road users to drive more efficiently

New Scientist

Cars controlled by AI drive smoothly and more efficiently, and a computer model suggests the effect spreads to nearby drivers too

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Thermophotovoltaic cells top 40 percent efficiency

Physics World

The first thermophotovoltaic cells with an efficiency of more than 40% – higher than any existing solid-state heat engine, and exceeding even the average efficiency of turbine-based power generation – have been fabricated by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The cells, which are two-junction devices made from III-V semiconducting materials with electronic bandgaps between 1.0 and 1.4 eV, use back surface reflect

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The Legality of Food Labeling Claims: FDA’s Regulations

National Law Center

When you walk through a grocery store, you will likely see certain food labeling claims such as “healthy”, “low in sugar”, The post The Legality of Food Labeling Claims: FDA’s Regulations appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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Meet the power plant of the future: Solar + battery hybrids are poised for explosive growth

Environmental News Bits

by Joachim Seel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Bentham Paulos, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Will Gorman, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory America’s electric power system is undergoing radical change as it transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While the first decade of the 2000s saw huge growth in natural gas generation, and the 2010s were … Continue reading Meet the power plant of the future: Solar + battery hybrids are poised for explosive growth.

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UK visa for top talent excludes graduates of African universities

New Scientist

The High Potential Individual visa is intended to attract graduates from around the world to work in the UK, but its criteria excludes anyone who studied at a university in Africa

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Desktop air curtain could block viral spread in hospitals

Physics World

Medical procedures such as collection of blood samples or intubation, for example, require doctors and other healthcare staff to work in close proximity to the patient. To protect them from exposure to infections in such scenarios, a team at Nagoya University in Japan has developed a desktop air curtain system (DACS) that blocks emitted aerosol particles and prevents potential spread of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.

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Ag and Food Law Daily Update: May 27, 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 27, 2022 appeared first on National Agricultural Law Center.

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When Americans think about science, what do they have in mind?

Environmental News Bits

Read the full story from the Pew Research Center. About two-thirds of U.S. adults (65%) say science has had a mostly positive effect on society, while 28% say it has had an equal mix of positive and negative effects and just 7% say it has had a mostly negative effect, according to a recent Pew … Continue reading When Americans think about science, what do they have in mind?

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Living with a dog during childhood may reduce risk of Crohn’s disease

New Scientist

Researchers tracked more than 4000 people at risk of developing Crohn’s disease and found those who lived with a dog between ages 5 and 15 were 40 per cent less likely to develop the disease

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Artificial intelligence beats humans at crossword solving and assesses the health of ‘singing’ coral reefs

Physics World

Many people around the world enjoy doing crosswords, taking a few moments out of their day to test their knowledge and wordplay by answering clues to find words that complete the crossword grid. Crosswords are a puzzle that humans particularly excel at, so much so that we can outperform machines — or so we thought. One of the most prestigious crossword competitions is the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and the best that a machine could do in 2017 was 11th place thanks to a pro

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Penncrest High School Team, Delaware County Took Statewide Honors At PA Envirothon

PA Environment Daily

On May 26, Pennsylvania Envirothon announced the winner of the statewide competition is Penncrest High School Team from Delaware County with a score of 556.3 who will represent Pennsylvania in the International Envirothon July 24-30 at Miami University of Ohio. Rounding out the list of top 10 winners are-- -- Second Place – North East School District, Erie County , with a score of 525.2; -- Third Place – Bangor Area HS, Northampton County , with a score of 507; -- Fourth Place – Pleasant Valley

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EPA launches modernized Design for the Environment logo for disinfectant and other antimicrobial products

Environmental News Bits

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new, modern Design for the Environment (DfE) logo that will appear on antimicrobial products like disinfectants and sanitizers within the next year. EPA’s DfE logo helps consumers and commercial buyers identify antimicrobial products that meet the health and safety standards of the normal pesticide registration process … Continue reading EPA launches modernized Design for the Environment logo for disinfectant and other ant

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UK to relax law on gene-edited food in post-Brexit change from EU

New Scientist

Tomatoes edited to make them a rich source of vitamin D and other crops edited for health and environmental reasons could be sold after the new Genetic Technology Bill

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Asking the big questions in the philosophy of physics and quantum biology

Physics World

In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast we look at some of the big questions in physics from biological and philosophical points of view. Katie Robertson is a philosopher of science at the UK’s University of Birmingham and she explains why philosophers are interested in physics and how they approach some of the big questions in the field.

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