Sat.May 15, 2021 - Fri.May 21, 2021

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New UCS Research: Utilities’ Uneconomic Coal Use Is Being Called Out in 25 States

Union of Concerned Scientists

New research from the Union of Concerned Scientists finds that 25 states have taken up substantial discussion of the issue of coal self-commitment in state public utility proceedings. This suggests that the issue of coal plants running when cleaner and cheaper resources are available has now become a far more commonly understood and talked-about issue.

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Amid Climate Pressures, a Call for a Plan to Move Endangered Species

Yale E360

The conservation community has fiercely debated whether to help species move as climate change and habitat loss threaten more extinctions. Now, scientists are calling on an upcoming international conference to set guidelines for this complex – and potentially risky – challenge. Read more on E360 ?.

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KABLA KUNYOOSHA MKONO…

Cleannovate

Manzee mezesha moja sitawahi rada ni hii risto ya vile utu umelost kwa society Kenya hii. Na sitastart kutupia mapolitrickcian blame sababu hiyo mtindo haiwesmake. Lakini haimaanishi eti hawana blame. Hebu tucheki risto ya KEMSA ndio tuingize akili. Ni Kenya tu ndio mawadhii incognito wanaweza kupiga kaletha kwa ofee ya gava na wakalaza tender ya mamita.

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New Publication: Encyclopedia Energy Law, Climate Change and the Environment

Energy and Climate Law

Our Encyclopedia on Energy Law, Climate Change and the Environment has now been published and may be ordered at Edward Elgar. Co-edited with Martha Roggenkamp and Kars de Graaf, I am honoured to have been part of this magnificent team, producing what now turned out to be a truly comprehensive work on the interrelation between energy law and sustainability.

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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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When Slowing Global Warming Means Cutting Down Trees: Hard Choices in the Climate Crisis

Union of Concerned Scientists

The world must reach net-negative CO2 emissions by midcentury, not only to slow the pace of climate change, but to reduce the millions deaths yearly from fossil fuel air pollution. Much of the burden of our energy choices falls on Black and brown communities. We must weigh these factors, including the massive benefits of renewable energy, as we face tough choices in addressing the climate crisis.

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Sea Level Rise Caused an Extra $8 Billion in Losses During Hurricane Sandy

Yale E360

A new study estimates that roughly $8 billion of the $63 billion in damages caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 can be attributed to sea level rise of just four inches caused by global warming. Read more on E360 ?.

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12 Incredible Historical Illustrations of Shells

Ocean Conservancy

Historical illustrations give us a glimpse into the scientific research of the past—and they can be very cool to look at! We can view thousands of historical illustrations of marine life thanks to the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL). The BHL is the largest open-access digital library for biodiversity archives. They work with libraries around the world to offer millions of books dating back to the 15 th century for free.

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Ford’s Electric F-150 Announcement and Four Important EV Questions

Union of Concerned Scientists

Ford Motor Company will be releasing details Wednesday evening about an all-electric version of its F-150 pickup truck, just after a day after a high-profile sneak preview for President Biden. We’ve seen many big press events in past years around new electric vehicles, but this might be the most important yet. The Ford F-150 is […].

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IEA Unveils Ambitious Path to Net-Zero Emissions by 2050

Yale E360

In a new report , the International Energy Agency is calling for an immediate end to new investments in fossil fuel supply projects such as pipelines, the rapid adoption of renewable energy such as solar and wind power, and a large-scale research and development program to develop future technologies, including advanced batteries, producing energy from hydrogen, and the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.

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THE CHEMICAL LEGION: THE CHEMISTRY OF COLOR

Cleannovate

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. But to say the same of paintings would be an understatement. Artists put in hours (if not days and weeks) in the work they do. I remember aspiring to be a pencil artist only to realize that the video tutorials we see on YouTube involve people who’ve honed the skill over time. After numerous trial and error sessions, they have made it to a stage where only a few get to.

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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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NOAA’s ‘New Normals’ Climate Data Raises Questions About What’s Normal

Inside Climate News

Does using 30-year weather averages mask rapid global warming? By Bob Berwyn and Matt deGrood When climatologists started standardizing global weather data about 100 years ago, they didn’t know that heat-trapping greenhouse gases were already pushing the planet’s climate inexorably in one direction, off the charts of human experience.

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Four Things to Know—and a Word of Caution—about EPA’s Climate Change Indicators Website Reboot

Union of Concerned Scientists

It’s great to see the EPA recommitting to climate change as a high-priority issue.

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A Big Decision on Texas PSA and Allocation Wells? Not so Fast.

Energy & the Law

In Opiela v. Railroad Commission of Texas and Magnolia Oil and Gas Operating, LLC , an Austin district court determined that the Commission’s Final Order granting a permit for a Production Sharing Agreement well in Karnes County did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act. Here is the Commission’s hearing examiners’ recommendation.

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The West Credit River Needs Your Help

Enviromental Defense

The West Credit River is home to a one of the last remaining self-sustaining native Brook Trout populations in southern Ontario. But they are under threat from a proposed Wastewater Treatment Plant that will dump its effluent into the river. That’s why the Coalition for the West Credit River has asked the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change to designate the Town of Erin’s Wastewater Treatment Plant – in Wellington County, Ontario – for a Federal

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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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Ethical hacking group worms its way into Fermilab

Physics World

A group of “ethical hackers” has obtained access to sensitive sys­tems and proprietary online data hosted by the Fermi National Accel­erator Laboratory in the US after accessing multiple unsecured entry points in late April and early May. The group – Sakura Samurai – dis­covered configuration data for the lab’s NoVa experiment and more than 4500 “tickets” for tracking internal projects.

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EPA Says More Diverse Advisory Committees Will Mean More Equitable Decisions

Union of Concerned Scientists

In a response to our sign-on letter to 24 agencies sent on April 28th, EPA says it agrees that “it is critical that all federal advisory committees leverage the available tools and resources to ensure a diverse pool of applicants.

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Tesla, Plug Power, GE Snag Top Spots for Most-Searched Renewable Energy Stock

Environmental Leader

The renewable energy industry is growing faster than ever, and, correspondingly, searches for “renewable energy stock” have spiked in recent years. Worldwide, Tesla is the most-searched renewable energy stock, with an average of 21.8 million searches each month, according to energy comparison site SaveOnEnergy. The post Tesla, Plug Power, GE Snag Top Spots for Most-Searched Renewable Energy Stock appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

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Extreme Heat Risks May Be Widely Underestimated and Sometimes Left Out of Major Climate Reports

Inside Climate News

New studies sharpen warnings for unlivable heat in the tropics, and nearly unthinkable extremes in major Northern Hemisphere cities. By Bob Berwyn While scientists warn with increasing urgency that global warming is sharply increasing the likelihood of deadly heat waves , many regions are doing little to protect vulnerable populations.

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More human than human

Physics World

“Hmm, that seems a bit convenient.” Mel’s image appears, along with Ashley’s and Taylor’s. “So, we’re identifying Lou as the bot?” Taylor grins. “Steady on! My PC hasn’t got a camera and my kids are on the other devices.”. “I’m still saying it’s a bit convenient that we can’t see you,” Mel says. “Apart from these tests, what’s everybody been up to?”.

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Does Going Solar Increase My Property Value?

Earth 911

Solar energy accounted for 43% of new electricity-generating capacity last year in the United States, The post Does Going Solar Increase My Property Value? appeared first on Earth911.

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Kestrel Cam: A Story from Egg to Falcon

Cool Green Science

It’s an intimate moment. On this mid-morning in late May, the sun is just creeping through the hole in the top of the nesting box. The female American kestrel is quietly preening her feathers when the movement starts. She shifts… The post Kestrel Cam: A Story from Egg to Falcon appeared first on Cool Green Science.

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Small but damaging: low-head barriers can cause selective effects on river fish communities

The Applied Ecologist

Artificial barriers are widespread and abundant in rivers worldwide, contributing to the global decline in freshwater biodiversity. In their latest research, Jones and colleagues aimed to assess potential selective effects of barriers on fish communities to better inform fish passage science.

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Vibrating drumheads are entangled quantum mechanically

Physics World

Quantum entanglement between two macroscopic vibrating drumheads has been demonstrated by two independent research groups. As well as being used to study the interface between the quantum and classical worlds, the systems could have practical applications in a range of quantum technologies. Quantum mechanics was first developed to explain the behaviour of tiny objects such as subatomic particles and is still often described as the physics of the very small.

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Shell keeps hiding behind Canada’s Big Oil lobby

Enviromental Defense

Shell Canada says it really cares about climate action. No really. It keeps telling us how much it cares so it really must. And yet, as the old adage goes, “Tell us who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.” One of Shell Canada’s longest standing relationships is with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), an industry lobby group that is quite possibly the biggest barrier to climate action in Canada. .

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Hollow Homes: Meet the Warblers That Nest in Tree Cavities

Cool Green Science

Meet the prothonotary and Lucy’s warblers, two birds with very interesting nesting needs. The post Hollow Homes: Meet the Warblers That Nest in Tree Cavities appeared first on Cool Green Science.

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Saving Salmon: You have to know where to work

Washington Nature

By Beth Geiger, freelance writer When Mathis Messager went around Puget Sound streets with his sci-fi looking ray gun, few of the curious people who spotted him would have guessed his real purpose: to help save Puget Sound’s iconic orcas. As Messager knows, the link from such urban streets to orca welfare is alarmingly direct: stormwater runoff. Rain washes metals and chemicals—mainly from tires and brakes—and hydrocarbons into drains, streams and eventually, marine waters such as Puget Sound.

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‘Keyhole surgery’ could reduce environmental burden of metal extraction

Physics World

A new “keyhole surgery”-style mining technique could allow metals to be extracted from underground ore bodies without the need for vast physical excavations. The approach, which is based on electrokinetics and was developed by an international team of researchers, could reduce the environmental impact of mining while making deep ore deposits more accessible.

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First-of-its-kind flower smells like dead insects to imprison ‘coffin flies’

Frontiers

By Mischa Dijkstra, Frontiers science writer. Aristolochia microstoma flowers half-buried in the ground: Credit: Thomas Rupp, Birgit Oelschlägel, Katharina Rabitsch et al. Plant researchers find that the herb Aristolochia microstoma from Greece has evolved a novel strategy, unknown in any other plant species, to attract pollinating Megaselia ‘coffin flies’ to its trap flowers: it produces a unique mix of volatiles that resembles the smell of dead and decomposing insects.

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This Rat Can Drive. Does That Mean It’s Intelligent? | Animal IQ

PBS Nature

Have you ever seen a rat drive a car? Well in this episode of Animal IQ you can! Learn about these amazingly intelligent creatures. The post This Rat Can Drive. Does That Mean It’s Intelligent? | Animal IQ appeared first on Nature.

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Has science fiction become too serious?

New Scientist

Sci-fi has become the only way to talk about today's problems, and that means it has lost its ability to help us imagine better futures, according to works at the online European Media Arts Festival

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A roadmap for the quantum internet

Physics World

Want to take part in this webinar? Join the audience. What is the quantum internet? Why doesn’t it exist yet, and when will it arrive? What new capabilities will the quantum internet enable? In this webinar we’ll answer these questions, considering quantum hardware, interfaces, software, simulations and applications. Want to take part in this webinar?

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How dancing honey bees could help us save pollinators

Frontiers

By Suzanna Burgelman/Dr Margaret Couvillon, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr Margaret Couvillon. Image: Margaret Couvillon. Pollinators are under threat worldwide. Researchers such as Dr Margaret Couvillon study bees to find solutions that will benefit the survival of pollinators. Specifically, Couvillon studies the honey bee waggle dance, to discover where and how bees find food.

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About

PBS Nature

Since ecologist Rodrigo Medellin first kept bats in his bathroom as a child, he has dedicated his life to saving them. Now Mexico’s most famous export, tequila, is at stake. Medellin’s beloved lesser long-nosed bat is crucial to the liquor – it pollinates the plants the drink is made from. To save these bats from extinction, Medellin must track the bats’ epic migration across Mexico, braving hurricanes, snakes and seas of cockroaches.

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New Arctic Council Reports Underline the Growing Concerns About the Health and Climate Impacts of Polar Air Pollution

Inside Climate News

While black carbon was flagged as a serious problem by the Arctic Council, an all-woman research team tracked it and its sources during a ski across Spitsbergen Island. By Bob Berwyn The Arctic is now warming three times as fast as the global average, and faces an ongoing barrage of dangerous climate and environmental pollutants, Arctic Council experts warned at the start of their meetings in Reykjavik, Iceland this week.