Hurricane Ida Shows Why We Urgently Need Bold, Just and Equitable Climate Action
Union of Concerned Scientists
SEPTEMBER 2, 2021
More catastrophic storms are coming.
2021
363 
Perspective: More Attention Needed on Freshwater Biodiversity
Circle of Blue
DECEMBER 16, 2021
Freshwater species are dying off and decreasing in abundance. Yet conservation funding centers on lands and oceans. Boats ply the waters of the Mekong River Delta, near Can Tho, Vietnam. Home to about 65 million people across four countries, the lower Mekong is also prized for its diversity of aquatic species. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue. By Stefan Lovgren – December 16, 2021.
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Sensing gravity, the quantum way
Physics World
DECEMBER 8, 2021
Much of quantum technology is linked to computing. It is easy to imagine how a better, more powerful computer, capable of solving complex problems, could be useful. But what is a computer, after all, if not a data-processing machine. Computers, quantum or otherwise, transform data into information, which is then used to steer scientific, medical, industrial processes.
Three Myths About Renewable Energy and the Grid, Debunked
Yale E360
DECEMBER 9, 2021
Renewable energy skeptics argue that because of their variability, wind and solar cannot be the foundation of a dependable electricity grid. But the expansion of renewables and new methods of energy management and storage can lead to a grid that is reliable and clean. Read more on E360 ?.
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.
The definitive CO2/CH4 comparison post
Real Climate
SEPTEMBER 19, 2021
There is a new push to reduce CH 4 emissions as a possible quick ‘win-win’ for climate and air quality. To be clear this is an eminently sensible idea – as it has been for decades (remember the ‘ Methane-to-markets’ initiative from the early 2000s?), but it inevitably brings forth a mish-mash of half-remembered, inappropriate or out-of-date comparisons between the impacts of carbon dioxide and methane.
Human brain cells in a dish learn to play Pong faster than an AI
New Scientist
DECEMBER 17, 2021
Hundreds of thousands of brain cells in a dish are being taught to play Pong by responding to pulses of electricity – and can improve their performance more quickly than an AI can
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How do Flying Fish “Fly”?
Ocean Conservancy
NOVEMBER 9, 2021
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a … fish? Although most fish don’t take to the skies, flying fish are one spectacular exception (kind of). Read on to see how flying fish get their distinctive name and learn more fun facts about this small but impressive species. See more wonderful ocean animals! Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list. Please try again or contact 1.888.780.6763.
Squirrel Parkour? The Science Behind Squirrel Acrobatics
Cool Green Science
NOVEMBER 15, 2021
Your bird feeder doesn’t stand a chance. New research shows squirrels combine incredible physical abilities with split-second decision making. The post Squirrel Parkour? The Science Behind Squirrel Acrobatics appeared first on Cool Green Science.
Catholic Bishops in the US Largely Ignore the Pope’s Concern About Climate Change, a New Study Finds
Inside Climate News
OCTOBER 26, 2021
Researchers at Creighton University reviewed more than 12,000 pastoral communications by the bishops. Only several dozen of those writings said a warming climate was real. By James Bruggers In the six years since Pope Francis published his landmark teaching document on the environment, or “care for our common home,” the leader of the global Catholic Church has only strengthened his call for action to curb climate change.
When and why did human brains decrease in size 3,000 years ago? New study may have found clues within ants
Frontiers
OCTOBER 21, 2021
By Suzanna Burgelman, Frontiers science writer. Image: Yongkiet Jitwattanatam/Shutterstock.com. The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Now, a new study has brought us closer to understanding some of its evolution. It shows that human brains decreased in size approximately 3,000 years ago. By studying ants as models to illustrate why brains may increase or decrease in size, the researchers hypothesize that brain shrinkage parallels the expansion of collective intelligence in human
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.
With Census Data Now Available, You Can Help Protect Democracy: Here’s How
Union of Concerned Scientists
AUGUST 17, 2021
2020 US Census data are now available and accessible–and there are an exciting variety of tools for science and democracy advocates to use this data to demand fair and unbiased districting.
Utah’s Water Dilemma
Circle of Blue
NOVEMBER 29, 2021
Utah’s Water Dilemma Record-breaking drought along the Wasatch Front forces tough decisions about water supply. Brett Walton, Circle of Blue November 29, 2021. BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah – Sitting inside a shepherd’s trailer hitched to his white pickup truck, Robert Child recounts a lifetime spent running sheep in the pastures of northern Utah. Wind gently rocks the compact trailer as Child, who is 75, describes the grazing rotations for his 2,000-head flock.
Entangling a live tardigrade, radiation warning on anti-5G accessories
Physics World
DECEMBER 17, 2021
Tardigrades are tiny organisms that can survive extreme environments including being chilled to near absolute zero. At these temperatures quantum effects such as entanglement become dominant, so perhaps it is not surprising that a team of physicists has used a chilled tardigrade to create an entangled qubit. According to a preprint on the arXiv server, the team cooled a tardigrade to below 10 mK and then used it as the dielectric in a capacitor that itself was part of a superconducting transmon
Why Putting Solar Canopies on Parking Lots Is a Smart Green Move
Yale E360
NOVEMBER 22, 2021
Solar farms are proliferating on undeveloped land, often harming ecosystems. But placing solar canopies on large parking lots offers a host of advantages — making use of land that is already cleared, producing electricity close to those who need it, and even shading cars. Read more on E360 ?.
Sustainability at Retail
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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.
We are not reaching 1.5ºC earlier than previously thought
Real Climate
AUGUST 9, 2021
Guest commentary by Malte Meinshausen, Zebedee Nicholls, and Piers Forster. Of all the troubling headlines emerging from the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) WG1 report, one warning will surely dominate headlines in the next days and weeks: Earth is likely to reach the crucial 1.5? warming limit in the early 2030s. In 2018, the IPCC Special Report on 1.5C warming stated in its summary for policy makers that the world was likely to cross the 1.5?
7200-year-old DNA suggests Denisovans bred with humans on Sulawesi
New Scientist
AUGUST 25, 2021
For the first time, DNA has been extracted from a Stone Age person who lived on Sulawesi – the genetic data suggests Denisovans lived on the island and interbred with humans there
The Benefits of Vaccinating Kids against COVID Far Outweigh the Risks of Myocarditis
Scientific American
DECEMBER 2, 2021
Vaccination is likely to prevent many more COVID cases than it is to cause a rare and nonfatal heart side effect in 5–11-year-olds. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.
TeamSeas Will Be Transformational for Our Ocean—Let’s Go!
Ocean Conservancy
OCTOBER 29, 2021
Today YouTubers MrBeast, Mark Rober and thousands of other creators are joining together to launch TeamSeas, a crowd-funded campaign with the goal of raising $30 million dollars by January 1 to remove 30 million pounds of trash from rivers, beaches and our ocean. Ocean Conservancy has been chosen as the beaches and ocean partner for the campaign—a testament to our 36-year history of mobilizing the International Coastal Cleanup® and, more recently, removing lost and discarded fishing gear from wa
Lower Duffins Creek Wetland is finally protected from destruction
Enviromental Defense
JULY 8, 2021
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
The Rate of Global Warming During Next 25 Years Could Be Double What it Was In The Previous 50, a Renowned Climate Scientist Warns
Inside Climate News
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
Former NASA climate scientist James Hansen urged Congress decades ago to act on climate change. Now he says he expects reduced aerosol pollution to lead to a steep temperature rise. By Bob Berwyn James Hansen, a climate scientist who shook Washington when he told Congress 33 years ago that human emissions of greenhouse gases were cooking the planet, is now warning that he expects the rate of global warming to double in the next 20 years.
Surprising discovery in Arctic songbird may reveal how it survives challenging migrations
Frontiers
OCTOBER 6, 2021
By K.E.D Coan, science writer. Snow buntings in winter. Image: Mircea Costina/Shutterstock.com. There is still much to learn about how Arctic migratory birds adjust their physiology during different phases of their life. For example, between winter and summer habitats, or during migration. A recent study published to Frontiers shows the first evidence that snow buntings keep their winter traits through migration.
Can the US Survive California’s Drought?
Union of Concerned Scientists
JUNE 14, 2021
California's drought is a national and international crisis.
Rising Cost of Water in Michigan Leads to Affordability Problems
Circle of Blue
DECEMBER 2, 2021
A growing number of Michigan households are burdened by high water bills, report finds. The community action group Detroit Water Brigade delivered water in August 2014 to city residents whose water had been shut off because of late payments. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue. The rising cost of water and sewer service is a problem across Michigan, but especially for high-poverty communities.
Quantum entanglement of two macroscopic objects is the Physics World 2021 Breakthrough of the Year
Physics World
DECEMBER 14, 2021
Quantum technology has made great strides over the past two decades and physicists are now able to construct and manipulate systems that were once in the realm of thought experiments. One particularly fascinating avenue of inquiry is the fuzzy border between quantum and classical physics. In the past, a clear delineation could be made in terms of size: tiny objects such as photons and electrons inhabit the quantum world whereas large objects such as billiard balls obey classical physics.
Why Protecting Tribal Rights Is Key to Fighting Climate Change
Yale E360
OCTOBER 27, 2021
Fawn Sharp, president of the National Congress of American Indians, talks with Yale Environment 360 about how climate change is hitting Native Americans especially hard and why protecting tribal sovereignty is critical for tackling the climate crisis. Read more on E360 ?.
Sea level in the IPCC 6th assessment report (AR6)
Real Climate
AUGUST 13, 2021
My top 3 impressions up-front: The sea level projections for the year 2100 have been adjusted upwards again. The IPCC has introduced a new high-end risk scenario, stating that a global rise “approaching 2 m by 2100 and 5 m by 2150 under a very high greenhouse gas emissions scenario cannot be ruled out due to deep uncertainty in ice sheet processes.”.
Katherine Johnson memoir: Her incredible life as a NASA mathematician
New Scientist
JUNE 23, 2021
The Hollywood movie Hidden Figures made a star of Katherine Johnson, the pioneering NASA mathematician whose talents played a key part in putting the first US astronaut into orbit.
To Look or Not to Look? That Is the Question
Scientific American
SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
The search for technological relics of extraterrestrial civilizations will inspire the public and attract talent to the field of astronomy. -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com.
10 Ink-credible Octopus Photos
Ocean Conservancy
OCTOBER 8, 2021
October 8 is World Octopus Day, which is the perfect excuse to appreciate these unbelievable cephalopods. To be fair, if you know us, you know we don’t need a reason to celebrate octopuses. You can make every day World Octopus Day by learning more about octopuses on our blog, with posts including: See more wonderful ocean animals! Sorry, but we failed to add you to the list.
Climate Clues from the Past Prompt a New Look at History
Yale E360
DECEMBER 20, 2021
As scientists rapidly improve their ability to decipher past climate upheaval through ice cores and other "proxies,” historians are re-examining previous political and social turmoil and linking it to volcanic eruptions, prolonged droughts, and other disturbances in the natural world. Read more on E360 ?.
In Climate Talks, Plans to Keep Planet from Overheating Should Not Ignore Water
Circle of Blue
SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
Carbon-reduction plans, if not well designed, can worsen water scarcity and pollution. Transmission lines in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stretch to the horizon. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue. Plans to reduce carbon emissions should take water into account. Some low-carbon energy options require significant amounts of water. Water can also be a climate solution.
Toxin Levels Spike, Prompting Drinking Water Emergency in Northern California
Circle of Blue
SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
Cyanotoxins in the state’s second-largest freshwater lake soared this month amid a hot, dry summer. Colorful blooms of cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae, paint the nearshore waters of Clear Lake, California’s second-largest freshwater lake. Toxin levels in the blooms broke records in this hot, dry summer. Photo courtesy of Frank Costner.
Water Groups Lauded a Side Agreement at the Paris Climate Conference. Then It Languished.
Circle of Blue
OCTOBER 5, 2021
The fate of the Paris Pact reveals the difficulties in incorporating water into global climate agreements. The Tigris River watershed is shared by Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. Photo © J. Carl Ganter/Circle of Blue. National actions take precedent in climate adaptation and mitigation over watershed-level plans. Recognition of water in national climate plans is increasing but more could be done.
Beyond Extinction: A New Emphasis on Species Recovery
Yale E360
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
Scientists have long drawn up a Red List to alert officials about wildlife and plant species threatened with extinction. Now some say it’s time to flip the script and create a “green status” category that identifies how to bring these species back to sustainable levels. Read more on E360 ?.
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