2025

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LA Fires and the Climate Connection

Legal Planet

Like millions of Angelenos, Ive been staying indoors and off the roads, glued to the Watch Duty app, radio, and TV coverage as LA is engulfed by these historic fires. The last 48 hours of coverage has focused, understandably, on the firefight and immediate devastation. Now, its time to start hearing about the climate connection, especially from local officials, policymakers, and the TV news anchors that so many people turn to for information during scary urban fires.

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The AMOC is slowing, it’s stable, it’s slowing, no, yes, …

Real Climate

There’s been a bit of media whiplash on the issue of AMOC slowing lately – ranging from the AMOC being “on the brink of collapse” to it being “more stable than previously thought” AMOC, of course, refers to the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, one of the worlds major ocean circulation systems which keeps the northern Atlantic region (including Europe) exceptionally warm for its latitude.

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Native American Stereotyping Contributes to Climate Change

Union of Concerned Scientists

There is an abundance of Native American imagery in the US imagination, and much of it is inaccurate: The Western films depicting cowboys winning against local Natives, Wild West TV shows, the classic tear rolling down the cheek of a man in a headdress as he looks at litter, or the picturesque images as Disneys Pocahontas sang about all the colors the wind holds.

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Whiplash: How Big Swings in Precipitation Fueled the L.A. Fires

Yale E360

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain says that two very wet years followed by a very dry one helped to turn the Los Angeles wildfires into raging infernos. This phenomenon of hydroclimate whiplash, he says, is expected to occur in more and more places as the world warms.

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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.

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At Phoenix’s Far Edge, a Housing Boom Grasps for Water

Circle of Blue

More than 1 million people could pour into western Maricopa County in the coming decades if housing developers can secure the water. Buckeye, Arizona, has plans to become one of the Southwest’s largest cities in the next decades. Photo Brett Walton/Circle of Blue By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue January 31, 2025 BUCKEYE, Ariz. Beneath the exhausting Sonoran sun, an hours drive west of Phoenix, heavy machines are methodically scraping the desert bare.

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New Research Led by James Hansen Documents Global Warming Acceleration

Inside Climate News

The rapid meltdown of polar ice could shut down a key ocean current by 2050, triggering catastrophic surges of sea level rise along the U.S. East Coast and dangerous climate shifts in northwestern Europe. By Bob Berwyn New research by an international team of climate scientists documents a surge of global warming during the past 15 years that risks shutting down a key ocean current by 2050.

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What Does the New Political Reality Mean for Climate Action in Canada

Enviromental Defense

Prime Minister Trudeaus recent decision to prorogue Parliament and announce his upcoming resignation may have left you wondering about what this could mean for climate change policy. At Environmental Defence, we have two main take-aways: Increased urgency: there are still a few critical climate policies that now have a shortened timeline to cross the finish line.

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Blue Ghost, a Private U.S. Spacecraft, Successfully Lands on the Moon

Scientific American

After its successful lunar touchdown, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost mission could soon be joined on the moon by two more commercial spacecraft

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DEP Launches New Permit Tracking Webpage For Applicants, Public

PA Environment Daily

On January 14, Acting DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley briefed DEPs Citizens Advisory Council on a new Permit Tracking webpage that just became available for applicants and the public to see where permits are in the DEP review process. With this new tool, users can search by county, program area, permit type or by the authorization (permit) ID or by keyword.

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How Transmission—Not Gas—Will Bolster Winter Grid Reliability: A Look at MISO South

Union of Concerned Scientists

As the year kicks off with a very cold January weather forecast, US power grid operators and the regulators who oversee them are paying close attention to ensure that the grid failures of several past extreme winter storms dont happen again. These dangerous grid failures over roughly the last decade have left millions in the dark and cold, sometimes with tragic and deadly consequences.

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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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As Oceans Warm, Predators Are Falling Out of Sync with Their Prey

Yale E360

In the sea as on land, climate change is driving shifts in the abundance and distribution of species. Scientists are just beginning to focus on why some fish predators and prey like striped bass and menhaden on the U.S. East Coast are changing their behavior as waters warm.

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Six Facts About Water and Wildfire in the West 

Union of Concerned Scientists

While deaths and destruction are mounting and tens of thousands flee a devastating inferno in Los Angeles, the President-Elect has used the catastrophic wildfires to spread misinformation, offer false solutions, and disrespect the suffering of people and the hard work of first responders. Here, we provide the facts and avoid the fiction. Fact 1: reservoirs are full Due to a relatively wet winter in Northern California, almost every reservoir in Southern California is at or above its historical a

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In Vermont, a Push to Prevent Flooding or Get Out of the Way

Yale E360

An increase in extreme precipitation events has hit the tiny, mountainous state of Vermont especially hard. As disaster declarations mount, state officials and community groups are collaborating to restore floodplains, reduce runoff from slopes, and buy out vulnerable homes.

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'Green Grab': Solar and Wind Boom Sparks Conflicts on Land Use

Yale E360

Solar and wind farms are proliferating and increasingly taking up land worldwide, prompting criticism from rural communities and environmentalists. Solutions range from growing crops or grazing livestock under PV panels to putting floating solar farms on lakes and reservoirs.

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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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Reciprocity: Rethinking Our Relationship with the Natural World

Yale E360

Robin Wall Kimmerer, the bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass , recently published The Serviceberry , which explores the economies of nature. In an e360 interview, the Native American ecologist discusses reciprocity, gratitude, and aligning human law with ecological law.

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Carbon Dioxide Levels Rose by a Record Amount Last Year

Yale E360

Carbon dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than ever before, putting hopes of limiting warming in jeopardy.

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With Sea Ice Melting, Killer Whales Move Into the High Arctic

Yale E360

Killer whales have begun to migrate farther into previously icy regions of the Arctic, preying on narwhal, beluga, and bowhead. Scientists say their increasing numbers could shift food webs in ways that affect both endangered whale populations and subsistence Inuit hunters.

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Did Climate Change Help Fuel the Los Angeles Wildfires?

Yale E360

Wildfires in Southern California have burned tens of thousands of acres, destroyed thousands of buildings, and killed at least 10 people. Experts say global warming may have set the stage for the catastrophic blazes.

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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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How Climate Change Puts the Safety of Drinking Water at Risk

Yale E360

Wildfires, floods, intense heat, droughts, and other extreme events fueled by climate change are threatening water systems in the U.S. and around the globe. Experts warn of the increasing threat of contamination and the need to improve infrastructure to keep drinking water safe.

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Why Were 2023 and 2024 So Hot?

Union of Concerned Scientists

The year 2023 was by far the warmest in Earths recorded history, and perhaps in the past 100,000 years , shattering the previous record set in 2016 by 0.27C (0.49F). According to recent data from NOAAs National Center for Environmental Information, 2024 is likely to be even warmer than 2023. Scientists are sounding the alarm because this warming is shockingly bigbigger than what we would have expected given the long-term warming trend from fossil fuel-caused climate change.

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Turning Farmland Back to Peatland: Can It Slow CO2 Emissions?

Yale E360

Farmers have long drained peatlands for agriculture, but the dried-out soils release vast quantities of CO2. To halt this process, new initiatives in Germany are not only rewetting peatlands but also creating markets for the native grasses, reeds, and sedges they support.

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Warmer, Greener Arctic Becoming a Source of Heat-Trapping Gas

Yale E360

As the northern latitudes warm, ice is melting and vegetation is growing more abundant. But instead of absorbing more carbon, the region is becoming a source of heat-trapping gas, a new study shows.

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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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​​The Science Behind Sea Level Rise: How Past Emissions Will Shape Our Future

Union of Concerned Scientists

Sea levels are rising, and science shows they will continue to rise for generations due to heat-trapping emissions that have already been released. This highlights a profound and enduring climate injustice: future generations will face the consequences of todays decisions. The effects of these emissions are already unfolding, but the full extent of their impacton coastlines, communities, and ecosystemswill play out over lifetimes to come.

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In Africa, Local Communities Protect More Wildlife Than Do Parks

Yale E360

A new analysis shows that African wildlife increasingly depend on lands managed by villagers and herders. In many areas, locally-run conservancies now more effectively protect wildlife than national parks do, with communities reaping tourism revenue and other benefits.

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The Growing Human Footprint on Earth, as Seen from Space

Yale E360

Last year saw warming reach startling new highs, with record heat fueling extreme weather around the world. As farms and cities grow, pollution is spreading and overheating the planet. The evidence of our impact is so profound that it can be seen from space.

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Microplastics Block Blood Flow in Brains of Mice

Yale E360

A new study finds microplastics can block the flow of blood in the brains of mice. The study comes on the heels of other research showing, for the first time, that microplastics can lodge in human brains.

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World Likely to Breach 1.5-Degree Target, Research Finds

Yale E360

The world is set to blow past its goal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C, new research shows.

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Push to Rewild in Wealthy Countries Fueling Destruction in Poorer Ones

Yale E360

A new study details how, as wealthy countries rewild farmland, they are driving the destruction of forests in countries that are richer in wildlife.

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U.S. Support and New Investments Buoy Hopes for Marine Energy

Yale E360

Producing energy from waves and tides has a stop-and-start history. But with a new U.S. testing site opening in 2026, recent federal investment, and accelerating efforts to reach net zero emissions, developers aiming to harness the vast power of the sea are feeling optimistic.

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U.S. Wind and Solar Overtake Coal Power

Yale E360

In a first, the U.S. saw wind and solar supply more power than coal last year, according to a new analysis. But even as renewables made gains, U.S. emissions stayed flat owing to rising demand for energy.

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Ask a Scientist: What Value Do Wetlands Provide?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Wetlands exist in almost every corner of the United States, representing a total area larger than the state of California. While some have federal or state protection, many do not. And despite the proximity of wetlands to many communities in this country, few people truly understand either the value wetlands hold for our way of life or the threat they face from our industrialized system of agriculture.

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New Analysis Shows Public Health Impacts of Proposed Gas Plants in Wisconsin 

Union of Concerned Scientists

A new analysis shows the construction of two new fossil gas power plants would have substantial negative health consequences for Wisconsin and surrounding communities. The study, conducted by PSE Healthy Energy for the Union of Concerned Scientists and Healthy Climate Wisconsin (HCW), found that the Oak Creek and Paris gas plants could result in up to $5.7 billion of health and economic costs over 30 years.