July, 2025

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The Court Has Spoken: A Healthy Climate is a Human Right

Union of Concerned Scientists

Right before the holiday weekend, the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights (IACtHR), the Americas’ highest human rights court, released a landmark advisory opinion (AO) establishing the human right to a healthy climate. This powerful statement of law and principle is part of a growing wave of international legal action on climate change, following last year’s AO from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and ahead of a highly anticipated opinion by the International Court of Justice.

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The Bloom of Nature’s Rights: On the IACtHR’s Recognition of Nature’s Legal Personality in AO-32/25

Law Columbia

The delegation speaks in front of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Brazil. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ (IACtHR) advisory opinion on human rights and the climate emergency ( AO-32/25 ) addresses numerous dimensions of the climate crisis, setting an important precedent for the protection of our planet. This post focuses on one particularly significant development: the IACtHR’s recognition of Nature as a subject of rights.

Law
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National Climate Assessment links

Real Climate

For some reason , it has become hard to locate the various National Climate Assessments (NCAs) that have been produced by the USGCRP over the decades (and it’s pretty hard to find the USGRCP as well…). However, the reports are still accessible if you know where to look. So for future reference, here are all the links (and we’ve downloaded the pdfs locally so that they will always be available here).

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The International Court of Justice delivers watershed climate ruling

A Greener Life

The President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Judge Iwasawa Yuji, delivers his advisory opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. Photo credit: ICJ. By Anders Lorenzen A ruling by the highest global court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), states that individual countries must protect their people and environment from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and act with due diligence to fulfil this obligation.

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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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“A Historic Day”: the World Court’s Big Climate Opinion

Legal Planet

Photo credit: UN/ICJ/Jeroen Bouman (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) It’s been a long time coming but nations of the world officially have a legal obligation to limit their emissions of greenhouse gases or else pay reparations for the harms of climate change. That was the unanimous opinion handed down yesterday by the 14 judges on the International Court of Justice, sometimes called the World Court.

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In a First, Solar Was Europe's Biggest Source of Power Last Month

Yale E360

For the first time, solar was the largest source of electricity in the EU last month, supplying a record 22 percent of the bloc's power.

More Trending

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The Mekong Dam Monitor Tracks a River Under Pressure

Circle of Blue

By Madelyn MacMurray This story was originally published by New Security Beat on July 22, 2025. The Mekong River’s seasonal floods nurture the world’s most productive inland fishery and irrigate rice paddies that feed millions. Approximately 70 million people live in the lower Mekong Basin, and 75% of them depend on fishing and farming for their livelihoods.

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Do Beach Cleanups Really Work?

Ocean Conservancy

This blog was written by Hannah De Frond. Hannah works with Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team to manage the International Trash Trap Network (ITTN), a global network of local groups using trash traps to increase cleanup efforts, engage communities and inform upstream solutions. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to solving the plastic pollution crisis.

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Celebrating 30 Years of Environmental Progress As The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

PA Environment Daily

This 30th Anniversary article first appeared on the Department of Environmental Protection Linkedin page July 1, 2025 -- On July 1, 1995, Pennsylvania marked a significant moment in environmental history with the creation of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) as two distinct agencies.

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Seven County Infrastructure Coalition: The Supreme Court’s “Substantial Deference” Standard and Implications for Judicial Review under NEPA

Law Columbia

On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County (No. 23-975) in which it perhaps clarified, perhaps modified, or perhaps announced entirely new standards for judicial review of agency obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Justice Kavanaugh delivered the majority opinion, holding that federal agencies are now entitled to “substantial deference” when making decisions about the scope and content of an envir

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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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Paying the People: Liberia’s Novel Plan to Save Its Forests

Yale E360

Plagued by illegal logging and corruption, Liberia has been losing its forests at an alarming rate. But its new strategy to make direct payments to communities that agree to prohibit cutting and protect their trees is seen as a potential model for other developing nations.

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This Plastic Free July, it’s time to end the era of single-use plastics

Enviromental Defense

Reuse and refill systems are a win for the environment and economy Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – A review of studies comparing single-use to reusable packaging around the world finds that refilling beverage containers in an effective reuse system is better than single-use containers – even when single-use containers are collected for recycling.

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Mapping the chemical complexity of plastics

Nature

Nature, Published online: 09 July 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09184-8 An inventory of 16,325 known plastic chemicals, including >4,200 hazardous compounds, supports the development of safer plastics.

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A comprehensive review of recent innovations in transforming bio-oil into bioplastics for sustainable product development within a circular economy

Environmental News Bits

Ajona, C., & Saravanakumar, A. (2025). A comprehensive review of recent innovations in transforming bio-oil into bioplastics for sustainable product development within a circular economy. Biomass and Bioenergy, 200, 108028.

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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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Celebrating 30 Years Of Excellence As The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

PA Environment Daily

This 30th Anniversary article first appeared on the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Linkedin page July 2, 2025 -- As the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) marks its 30th anniversary, we are reflecting on three decades of commitment to protecting the natural resources that make the Commonwealth a vibrant and beautiful place to live, work, and visit.

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The Right to a Healthy Environment as a Catalyst for Urgent and Ambitious Climate Action at the IACtHR

Law Columbia

The right to a healthy environment is at the heart of the landmark Advisory Opinion 32/25 ( AO-32/25 ) on the climate emergency from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR). After a detailed description of scientific evidence about the devastating impacts of the climate crisis, the IACtHR devoted more than thirty pages of its 234-page opinion to describing the content of the right to a healthy environment and the associated obligations of States.

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London Inches Closer to Running Transit System Entirely on Renewable Power

Yale E360

Under a new agreement, London will source enough solar power to run its light railway and tram networks entirely on renewable energy.

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China launches push for zero-carbon industrial parks

A Greener Life

AI-generated stylised visualisation of a modern zero-carbon industrial park in China. By Niu Yuhan On 8 July, China launched a nationwide programme to construct zero-carbon industrial parks. The notice published by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Energy Administration opens the first round of applications for industrial zones aiming to reduce their carbon footprint.

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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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Millions of tonnes of nanoplastics are polluting the ocean

Nature

Nature, Published online: 09 July 2025; doi:10.

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Powering the Future: Why Michigan’s Data Center Debate is Critical for Clean Energy and Your Wallet

Union of Concerned Scientists

Over the past few months, you’ve likely noticed a wave of services claiming to use ‘artificial intelligence’: Google’s AI Overview , Facebook’s Meta AI , or ChatGPT. These products are powered by large language models (LLMs), which are essentially very advanced autocomplete tools trained on massive data sets. Using these artificial intelligence tools requires massive amounts of energy.

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DEP: $3.47 Million In Alternative Fuel Vehicle Grants Announced To Lower Costs, Improve Air Quality; Deadline For New Applications Oct. 10

PA Environment Daily

On July 15, the Department of Environmental Protection awarded more than $3.47 million through the Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant (AFIG) program to help local communities purchase alternative fuel vehicles, build out alternative fuel infrastructure, cut costs, and improve air quality in 17 counties across Pennsylvania. “We are committed to increasing sustainable and renewable energy and these grants will help local governments, businesses, school districts, and nonprofit organizations invest i

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The Transmission, Distribution, and Interconnection Crises Blocking New York’s Climate Goals

Law Columbia

At a July 10, 2025 meeting , Commissioner Judy Chang of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) argued that the United States needs to rapidly build more transmission capacity to bring new sources of electricity online. She explained that “transmission is the network that needs to support both generation and load, and whether it’s load growing, whether it’s wind and solar growing — it doesn’t matter, we have to build the highways to connect them.

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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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On Controlling Fire, New Lessons from a Deep Indigenous Past

Yale E360

For centuries, the Native people of North America used controlled burns to manage the continent's forests. In an e360 interview, ecologist Lori Daniels talks about the long history of Indigenous burning and why the practice must be restored to protect against catastrophic fires.

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Viewpoint: These new energy solutions do more than generate power

A Greener Life

In China, new energy solutions are helping to create more adaptive, multifunctional systems that co-evolve with nature. Photo credit: Shutterstock. By Wen Shugang As countries including China accelerate their clean energy investments, it’s becoming increasingly clear that renewables are not just changing how we power the world – they’re fundamentally reshaping the human-nature dynamic.

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Temperature-Related Hospitalization Burden under Climate Change

Nature

Climate change has significantly increased adverse effects on human health, and economic growth1–3. However, few studies have differentiated the impacts of extreme temperatures at the city level, and analysed the future implications for human health under various climate change scenarios.4–6 Here, data on historical relationship among six kinds of climate-sensitive diseases (CSD) hospitalizations and temperatures across 301 cities (over 90% of all cities) and more than 7,000 hospital

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Moving toward fiber-based products free of PFAS: Industry response to regulations for paper packaging, hygiene and textile products

Environmental News Bits

Lendewig, M., Marquez, R., Franco, J., Vera, R. E., Vivas, K. A., Forfora, N., Venditti, R. A., & Gonzalez, R. (2025). Moving toward fiber-based products free of PFAS: Industry response to regulations for paper packaging, hygiene and textile products. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 222, 108428.

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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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July 28 - Weekly PA Environment Digest Now Available

PA Environment Daily

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.” -- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion] Click Here To View Or Print The Entire Jul

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New Book Explores How Advisory Opinions Are Shaping International Climate Law

Law Columbia

As the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) prepares to release its advisory opinion on climate change on July 3, 2025 —joining earlier decisions from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas ( ITLOS ) and the European Court of Human Rights ( ECtHR ), and in anticipation of the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s advisory opinion— The Role of Advisory Opinions in International Law in the Context of the Climate Crisis arrives at precisely the right moment.

Law
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Paying the People: Liberia’s Novel Plan to Save Its Forests

Yale E360

Plagued by illegal logging and corruption, Liberia has been losing its forests at an alarming rate. But its new strategy to make direct payments to communities that agree to prohibit cutting and protect their trees is seen as a potential model for other developing nations.

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COP30: Viewpoint – Community solar lights up homes and businesses in Rio’s favelas

A Greener Life

Thumbnail from Kashfi Halford’s film on community solar in Rio’s favelas. Image credit Kashfi Halford. Film and words by Kashfi Halford A grassroots solar project in two low-income Brazilian neighbourhoods is reducing energy poverty while training locals to lead the change. The steep hills of Babilônia and Chapéu Mangueira rise behind the golden curve of Leme Beach, one of Rio de Janeiro ’s most iconic shorelines.

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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.