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'Nothing left’: At least 300 dead as flash floods devastate Afghanistan:

 
'Nothing left’: At least 300 dead as flash floods devastate Afghanistan - Washington Post - Climate and Environment
May 12 · As workers struggle to reach remote mountain villages, hundreds of people may still be trapped beneath debris and mud, according to the U.N.
KABUL - Afghan authorities and aid workers were struggling to respond this weekend to some of the worst flash floods in recent memory, which left about 300 people dead, the United Nations said, warning that hundreds of people may still be trapped beneath debris and mud.
The U.N.’s health agency said destruction was most severe in Baghlan province, in Afghanistan’s north, where “unprecedented rainfall” has damaged or destroyed thousands of homes since Friday.
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2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19:

 
2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19 - Skeptical Science
May 12 · "Grief that stops at despair is an ending that I and many others, most notably those on the frontlines, are not prepared to accept." — Dr. Christiana Figueres
Our Story of the Week concerns what can be termed a gut check survey of climate scientists commissioned by The Guardian newspaper, World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target. With nearly half of all IPCC lead authors and review editors responding, this highly informed body of opinion tabulated unfavorably:
Almost 80% of the respondents, all from the authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), foresee at least 2.5C of global heating, while almost ...
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Alerting communities to hyperlocalized urban flooding:

 
Alerting communities to hyperlocalized urban flooding - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · Urban flooding hazards are complicated by the heterogeneity of cities—various types of land use, development, surfaces, and drainage systems can all change how water moves. Flooding can be localized to areas as specific as a block or a street corner and change quickly, making it difficult to monitor hyperlocal floods distributed across a city in real time.
Crowdsourced flood reports from citizens (such as social media posts) are helpful during such events, but the coverage and accuracy can be spotty given that they require human witnesses to register events. Some water level sensors present logistical challenges. For example, pressure sensors installed in sewers are ...
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Amazon's new fees on sellers likened to 'kick in the gut':

 
Amazon's new fees on sellers likened to 'kick in the gut' - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 10 · Amazon.com Inc. merchants have found themselves caught in an economic vice. Earlier this year, the e-commerce giant rolled out changes to the fees its charges them - essentially shifting more of its operating costs onto the small businesses that account for most of the products sold on the site. Making matters worse for merchants, shoppers are trading down.
In the first four months of the year, American consumers have increasingly opted for the least expensive products in nearly all categories, according to a report released Thursday by Adobe Inc. That makes it harder to pass price hikes along to shoppers, and online merchants are struggling to make money.
Duncan Freer, ...
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Amidst India’s Tourism Boom, Boutique Accommodations Focus on Sustainability:

 
Amidst India’s Tourism Boom, Boutique Accommodations Focus on Sustainability - Sustainable Brands
May 10 · Whereas the country’s major cities have attracted the major hotel construction in the past, boutique properties and hotel chains alike are popping up in lesser-known areas - to showcase not only the natural appeal but the proprietors’ commitment to the environment and local communities.
“We should make our own jam.”
I was sipping coffee, listening to the titter of birds over a leisurely breakfast, when Akhilesh said this. “If we did that, we could reuse the jars.”
He stated it so casually, as if he had commented on the warm weather. But, then again, in his role as operations head of Bagh Villas, Akhilesh (Umesh) Nair is constantly thinking about the next step, the ...
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An Alternative Rationale for Solar Geoengineering:

 
An Alternative Rationale for Solar Geoengineering - Climate Engineering (Lockley - Playlist)
May 2 · An Energy Policy Seminar featuring Wake Smith, Research Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government and Lecturer at the Yale School of the Environment. Smith gave a talk on | By Belfer Center    Read more ...
 

Australia risks being 'world’s nuclear waste dump’ unless Aukus laws changed, critics say:

 
Australia risks being 'world’s nuclear waste dump’ unless Aukus laws changed, critics say - Guardian - Energy
May 1 · Labor-chaired inquiry calls for legislation to rule out accepting high-level nuclear waste from US and UK submarines among other recommendations
Australia risks becoming the “world’s nuclear waste dump” unless the Albanese government moves to rewrite its proposed Aukus laws, critics say.
A Labor-chaired inquiry has called for the legislative safeguard to specifically rule out accepting high-level nuclear waste from the US and the UK. One of the members of a Senate committee that reviewed the draft laws, independent senator Lidia Thorpe, said the legislation “should be setting off alarm bells” because “it could mean that Australia becomes the world’s nuclear waste ...
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Banks have given almost $7tn to fossil fuel firms since Paris deal, report reveals:

 
Banks have given almost $7tn to fossil fuel firms since Paris deal, report reveals - Guardian - Energy
May 1 · Among world’s top 60 banks those in US are biggest fossil fuel financiers, while Barclays leads way in Europe
The world’s big banks have handed nearly $7tn (£5.6tn) in funding to the fossil fuel industry since the Paris agreement to limit carbon emissions, according to research.
In 2016, after talks in Paris, 196 countries signed an agreement to limit global heating as a result of carbon emissions to at most 2C above preindustrial levels, with an ideal limit of 1.5C to prevent the worst impacts of a drastically changed climate.
Many countries have since promised to reduce carbon emissions, but the latest research shows private interests continued to funnel money to ...
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Biden's clean energy tax credits likely to remain 'law of the land': Brainard:

 
Biden's clean energy tax credits likely to remain 'law of the land': Brainard - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 10 · Most of Joe Biden's clean energy tax credits are now law and are unlikely to be reversed by Donald Trump if he wins November's presidential election, a senior administration official said Friday.
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) - one of Biden's most significant policy achievements as president - contains tax credits, subsidies and grants worth hundreds of billions of dollars designed to turbo-charge America's energy transition.
The legislation has been opposed by some Republicans, including Trump, who is reportedly looking at ways to gut Biden's signature law if he wins in November.
But speaking in Washington on Friday, White House national economic advisor ...
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Bilbies could hop back into mild climate zones, study finds:

 
Bilbies could hop back into mild climate zones, study finds - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · A study of greater bilbies at Taronga Western Plains Zoo has provided some new ideas about how bilbies would cope if reintroduced to temperate areas of Australia where they once roamed.
Today the bilby is a threatened native marsupial that is restricted to areas where introduced predators are excluded or intensively managed. The beloved animal, often referred to as Australia's answer to the Easter Bunny, has not lived within the temperate zone of their former range—southeastern and southwestern Australia—for more than 100 years.
Since European settlement, bilbies have experienced a massive decline in range due to competition with invasive rabbits and ...
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Bishop vanished. His species can still be saved.:

 
Bishop vanished. His species can still be saved. - Washington Post - Climate and Environment
May 11 · Bishop’s story, from birth to presumed death, shows the extreme danger facing right whales, which could be extinct in three decades if they continue to disappear at the present rate. Bishop’s species is not doomed to extinction, advocates say, but time is running out.
In most ways, Bishop was a normal right whale. For the first year of his life, his mother nursed and protected him, and he learned to feed by swimming, mouth agape, through patches of plankton floating near the surface.
But on Jan. 20, 2015, Bishop became something more: a precious source of data that would help scientists better understand the dangers afflicting his species.
That day, off the coast ...
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Brazil authorities warn of more floods, landslides as new rains hit south:

 
Brazil authorities warn of more floods, landslides as new rains hit south - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 12 · New rains in waterlogged southern Brazil are expected to be heaviest between Sunday and Monday, authorities have warned, bringing fresh misery to victims of flooding that has killed 136 people so far.
State authorities warned late Saturday of the risk of further rising waters and landslides.
"We are still experiencing an emergency situation," Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite said in a video on Instagram.
Heavy rains last week caused rivers in the agricultural state to overflow, leaving 806 injured and 125 missing in addition to those killed, the civil defense agency said.
"Many people see the rain and are traumatized. We've seen how scared people ...
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Brazil's catastrophic weather spawns spate of conspiracy theories:

 
Brazil's catastrophic weather spawns spate of conspiracy theories - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 11 · The climate catastrophe that has struck southern Brazil, killing more than a hundred people and displacing nearly two million, has also spawned a spate of bizarre conspiracy theories, some involving jets' vapor trails and weather antennas in faraway Alaska.
As often happens at times of disaster and great uncertainty, several of these theories have gone viral on social media.
"What's happening in Rio Grande do Sul is definitely not natural," one woman said on the platform known as X. "Let's open our eyes!"
She blamed something called HAARP - the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program - a US project that studies the ionosphere using huge antennas in ...
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California Will Add a Fixed Charge to Electric Bills and Reduce Rates:

 
California Will Add a Fixed Charge to Electric Bills and Reduce Rates - New York Times - Climate Section
May 10 · Officials said the decision would lower bills and encourage people to use cars and appliances that did not use fossil fuels, but some experts said it would discourage energy efficiency.
Utility regulators in California on Thursday changed how most residents will pay for energy by adding a new fixed monthly charge and lowering the rates that apply to energy use. Officials said the shift would reduce monthly bills for millions of residents and support the use of electric vehicles and appliances that run on electricity, rather than fossil fuels.
The decision by the California Public Utilities Commission will apply to the rates charged by investor-owned utilities, which ...
| By Ivan Penn    Read more ...
 

Cambodia's famed Kampot pepper withers in scorching heat wave:

 
Cambodia's famed Kampot pepper withers in scorching heat wave - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 13 · Farmer Chhim Laem shakes his head as he walks between long rows of dead bushes, their brown leaves scorched by heat and drought that have devastated Cambodia's famed Kampot pepper crop.
Known for its intense floral flavor, Kampot pepper is prized by top chefs around the world and sells for up to $200 per kilo.
Nurtured for generations in two provinces in southwest Cambodia, the pepper industry survived the genocidal Khmer Rouge and decades of instability, but now faces the threat of extreme weather driven by climate change.
"It is so hot this year, no rains, and we have no water to water the pepper plants," Laem told AFP. "So they all died."
South and ...
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Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive:

 
Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive - Skeptical Science
May 13 · Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging.
With the official start to the hurricane season in the North Atlantic coming up (June 1), I figured it was time to explain why we can be so confident that hurricanes are indeed more destructive today due to climate change.
Note: from here on out, I’ll refer to hurricanes as tropical cyclones (abbreviated TCs), which is a more general term for this type of storm.
We have 100% confidence that sea level is rising because humans are heating the planet. ...
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Convergence science in the changing Arctic:

 
Convergence science in the changing Arctic - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · The aim of convergence science is to generate new paradigms and ways of viewing problems that reach beyond any single discipline. Despite the rising popularity of this concept over the past decade, few publications have addressed the practical specifics of how to put it into practice—and none have focused on the Arctic.
Now, a new paper in Earth's Future, by Ivanov and others, aims to do just that. In 2020, a team of Earth system scientists, ecologists, anthropologists, and engineers, representing a range of countries and cultural identities, organized a series of workshops to explore how to apply convergence science to the changing Arctic. In particular, they focused on ...
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Drivers and implications of alternative routes to fuels decarbonization in net-zero energy systems:

 
Drivers and implications of alternative routes to fuels decarbonization in net-zero energy systems - MIT - Global Change -Publications
May 10 · Abstract: Energy transition scenarios are characterized by increasing electrification and improving efficiency of energy end uses, rapid decarbonization of the electric power sector, and deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies to offset remaining emissions. Although hydrocarbon fuels typically decline in such scenarios, significant volumes remain in many scenarios even at the time of net-zero emissions. While scenarios rely on different approaches for decarbonizing remaining fuels, the underlying drivers for these differences are unclear.
Here we develop several illustrative net-zero systems in a simple structural energy model and show that, for a given set of ...
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Drought fuels wildfire concerns as Canada braces for another intense summer:

 
Drought fuels wildfire concerns as Canada braces for another intense summer - Yale Climate Connections - Weather
May 10 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate.
No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the relative cool of night, last summer’s wildfires burned an unprecedented 18.5 million hectares of land - more than seven times the historic average.
Canada’s warmest ever winter followed, with low to non-existent snowpack in many areas, and ongoing drought raising fears that this summer will see more ...
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Environmentalists battle to get Peco to increase its use of green energy, but the oil industry calls it a job killer:

 
Environmentalists battle to get Peco to increase its use of green energy, but the oil industry calls it a job killer - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 10 · The nation is in the middle of a contentious transformation from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
It's a change either hailed by environmentalists for addressing climate change and public health or loathed by the oil and gas industry for killing jobs and being less reliable, efficient and affordable. And what the increase in renewables will mean for consumers' pocketbooks is still unclear.
The latest battle played out before the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, which every four years has to approve Peco's energy procurement, or default service plan, where the utility explains how it intends to buy electricity.
Peco's current DSP is set to expire next May.
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Feral horses in Australia's high country are damaging peatlands, decreasing carbon stores:

 
Feral horses in Australia's high country are damaging peatlands, decreasing carbon stores - PHYS.ORG - Biology
May 10 · Under the right conditions, peat soils accumulate from carbon-rich, semi-decomposed plants. But if things go wrong, the carbon balance can be tipped in the other direction, releasing carbon into the atmosphere.
We wanted to know if feral horse grazing and trampling is reducing the amount of carbon Australia's alpine peatlands can store. These peatlands are found in alpine and mountainous regions of Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. But they're quite rare on the mainland, restricted to areas such as those frequented by feral horses in the Snowy Mountains.
In our new research, we sampled peat soils from areas with and without feral ...
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Fresh rains pound Brazil's flood-hit south as evacuations double:

 
Fresh rains pound Brazil's flood-hit south as evacuations double - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 11 · The skies opened once again Friday in southern Brazil, offering little respite for those whose homes have been swallowed by floodwaters, while the number of people forced to evacuate doubled in 24 hours.
Residents of the state of Rio Grande do Sul were bracing for a weekend of heavy rainfall, hitting just as waters that turned city streets into rivers had begun to subside.
The deluge - which experts link to climate change exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon - has affected almost two million people, leaving 126 dead and 756 injured.
Another 141 people are still missing, according to authorities.
The state capital Porto Alegre, home to 1.4 million ...
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From Ancient Charcoal, Hints of Wildfires to Come:

 
From Ancient Charcoal, Hints of Wildfires to Come - New York Times - Climate Section
May 10 · By digging into the geologic record, scientists are learning how wildfires shaped - and were shaped by - climate change long ago.
The oldest evidence of wildfire in the world can be found in a laboratory on the fourth floor of a brick building in Waterville, Maine. To the untrained eye, it looks like a speck of black lint, not much larger than the tip of a pin. To Ian J. Glasspool, a paleobotanist at Colby College, it is a 430-million-year-old piece of charcoal.
The specimen, which Dr. Glasspool discovered in a mudstone from southern Wales, is one of many pieces of ancient charcoal that have been studied in recent years to explore how fires burned in the past. Together, ...
| By Laura Poppick    Read more ...
 

Global analysis of 30M hydrogen energy tweets shows increase from 2015 Paris Agreement:

 
Global analysis of 30M hydrogen energy tweets shows increase from 2015 Paris Agreement - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 10 · The multi-lingual study's first author Ph.D. researcher Deepak Uniyal, who conducted the study with Professor Richi Nayak from the School of Computer Science, said analyzing public discourse on hydrogen energy was essential for understanding the public's behavior and acceptance of hydrogen technology. "Twitter's pulse on hydrogen energy in 280 characters: a data perspective" was published in Social Network Analysis and Mining.
Mr. Uniyal said an analysis of tweet geolocation found that Australia ranked seventh among the top 35 countries engaged in discussions about hydrogen energy on Twitter from 2013 to 2022.
"Japan led the distribution of discussion across the top ...
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Global Economy or Climate Emergency. Is that our choice?:

 
Global Economy or Climate Emergency. Is that our choice? - Just Have A Think
May 12 · If you want to know the truth...FOLLOW THE MONEY! The people who control the world's money rely on financial risk assessors to give them accurate data about future scenarios that could adversely affect their vast portfolios. The message coming from those risk assessors right now is...your money is in grave danger if the world does not act urgently to mitigate the worst consequences of our rapidly warming climate. Now a new report sets the challenge out in painful detail.
Use discount code JHTEE20 to get your 20% discounted tickets for EVERYTHING ELECTRIC LIVE
https://uk.everythingelectric.show/north/
Help support this channels independence at ...
| By Just Have a Think    Read more ...
 

Here's the timeline for SBTi’s corporate net-zero update:

 
Here's the timeline for SBTi’s corporate net-zero update - Greenbiz
May 10 · The standards-setting organization plans to address stakeholder feedback, including updates to climate science and challenges related to Scope 3 target setting.
The Science Based Targets Initiative this week published the timeline for a widely anticipated, “major” revision to its Corporate Net-Zero Standard, set to take effect in 2025.
SBTI is required to review its standards every two to five years, under its governance structure. The net-zero revision comes amid widespread debate about SBTi’s mission and a backlash over a controversial plan to let companies count certain “environmental attribute certificates,” such as carbon credits, toward emissions reduction ...
| By Heather Clancy    Read more ...
 

Horse’s rooftop rescue gives flood-hit Brazil 'something we could root for’:

 
Horse’s rooftop rescue gives flood-hit Brazil 'something we could root for’ - Washington Post - Climate and Environment
May 11 · After Caramelo the horse was stranded on a roof, the dramatic race to save him gripped some in Brazil as the nation grapples with severe flooding.
When a news crew’s helicopter swept over the catastrophic floods in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul on Wednesday, it captured a striking image: a horse trapped on a strip of a tin roof, surrounded by the same murky waters that had left entire neighborhoods looking as though they had been swallowed by a river.
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How 5 N.Y.C. Neighborhoods Are Struggling With Climate Change:

 
How 5 N.Y.C. Neighborhoods Are Struggling With Climate Change - New York Times - Climate Section
May 12 · New data projects are linking social issues with global warming. Here’s what that means for these New York communities.
Some of the effects of climate change on New York City neighborhoods are clear: extreme heat. Persistent flooding.
But as city leaders explore which neighborhoods are most vulnerable to a warming world, they are also focusing on less obvious factors like poverty, chronic health conditions and language barriers that can deepen the impact of climate change.
Several new data-gathering efforts are helping shed light on how socioeconomic issues can add to a community’s overall risk as droughts, floods and wildfires become more extreme and sea levels rise.
| By Hilary Howard    Read more ...
 
How 5 N.Y.C. Neighborhoods Are Struggling With Climate Change - New York Times - Climate Section
May 12 · New data projects are linking social issues with global warming. Here’s what that means for these New York communities.
Some of the effects of climate change on New York City neighborhoods are clear: extreme heat. Persistent flooding.
But as city leaders explore which neighborhoods are most vulnerable to a warming world, they are also focusing on less obvious factors like poverty, chronic health conditions and language barriers that can deepen the impact of climate change.
Several new data-gathering efforts are helping shed light on how socioeconomic issues can add to a community’s overall risk as droughts, floods and wildfires become more extreme and sea levels rise.
| By Hilary Howard    Read more ...
 

How Climate Change Will Affect Malaria Transmission:

 
How Climate Change Will Affect Malaria Transmission - Science Daily - Earth and Climate
May 24 · A new model for predicting the effects of climate change on malaria transmission in Africa could lead to more targeted interventions to control the disease according to a new study.
Previous methods have used rainfall totals to indicate the presence of surface water suitable for breeding mosquitoes, but the research led by the University of Leeds used several climatic and hydrological models to include real-world processes of evaporation, infiltration and flow through rivers.
This groundbreaking approach has created a more in-depth picture of malaria-friendly conditions on the African continent.
It has also highlighted the role of waterways such as the Zambezi ...
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How Lowe's is using supplier education to tackle Scope 3 emissions:

 
How Lowe's is using supplier education to tackle Scope 3 emissions - Greenbiz
May 13 · The home improvement giant has doubled the number of suppliers reporting emissions
Lowe's sustainability strategy includes fitting many of its large rooftops with solar panels. Source: Lowe's
Like many retailers, Lowe’s is under pressure from shareholders and activists to track and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. And Scope 3 emissions, which come from suppliers, are the hardest ones to quantify and abate.
Lowe’s has tackled its Scope 3 emissions with a unique blend of education, consulting and persuasion - specifically in a series of webinars for suppliers hosted by Campbell Weyland, a senior analyst in sustainability and compliance for the century-old home ...
| By Kimberly Weisul    Read more ...
 

Identity crisis: Climate destroying wonders that gave US parks their names:

 
Identity crisis: Climate destroying wonders that gave US parks their names - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 13 · Glacier National Park's ice fortress is crumbling. The giant trees of Sequoia National Park are ablaze. And even the tenacious cacti of Saguaro National Park are struggling to endure a decades-long drought.
Since their creation, national parks have embodied the pioneering spirit of America in their vast expanses and breathtaking landscapes.
But today, the climate crisis imperils the very symbols of many parks, leaving them facing a future where their names could be cruel ironies.
Deep within Montana's Glacier National Park, the once majestic Grinnell Glacier is now greatly diminished.
After a grueling trek, visitors are met with a stunning sight: a serene ...
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In praise of shade trees:

 
In praise of shade trees - Yale Climate Connections - Ecosystems
May 10 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
If you go to a city park on a hot, summer day, you might sit under a big, shady tree to cool off.
But that tree is helping you beat the heat, even when you’re not standing directly under it.
One study found that on very hot days, greener areas of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. can be more than 15 degrees cooler than areas of those same cities with fewer trees.
One reason for this dramatic difference in temperatures is that dark-colored roads and rooftops get scorchingly hot when the sun shines down on them. Then those surfaces release the ...
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India among 13 countries with high emissions facing ‘some of severest impact’ of climate change: Report | India News - Times of India:

 
India among 13 countries with high emissions facing ‘some of severest impact’ of climate change: Report | India News - Times of India - Indiatimes
May 9 · Vishwa Mohan is Senior Editor at The Times of India. He writes on environment, climate change, agriculture, water resources and clean energy, tracking policy issues and climate diplomacy. He has been covering Parliament since 2003 to see how politics shaped up domestic policy and India’s position at global platform. Before switching over to explore sustainable development issues, Vishwa had covered internal security and investigative agencies for more than a decade.
10 benefits of eating 1 Khajoor everyday
10 simple habits to make people respect you
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10 ...
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Indonesia flood death toll rises to 41 with 17 missing:

 
Indonesia flood death toll rises to 41 with 17 missing - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 13 · The number of people killed by flash floods and cold lava flow from a volcano in western Indonesia over the weekend has risen to 41 with 17 more missing, a local disaster agency official told AFP Monday.
Hours of heavy rain caused large volcanic rocks to roll down one of Indonesia's most active volcanos into two districts on Sumatra island Saturday evening, while flooding inundated roads, homes and mosques.
"Data as of last night, we recorded 37 dead victims... But from this morning it has grown again, the figure reached 41 (dead)," Ilham Wahab, West Sumatra disaster mitigation agency official, told AFP.
Rescuers were searching for 17 still missing, three in Agam ...
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IPCC calls for nomination of experts to draft outline of the Seventh Assessment Report. — IPCC:

 
IPCC calls for nomination of experts to draft outline of the Seventh Assessment Report. — IPCC - IPCC
May 3 · There are many ways to engage with the IPCC
The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) is calling on its member governments and observer organizations to nominate experts who will draft the outline of the Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report. Nominations should be submitted by midnight CEST on 7 June 2024.
The IPCC decided to prepare a Seventh Assessment Report during its 60th Session in January 2024. The Seventh Assessment report comprises three Working Group contributions and a Synthesis Report. The Working Group I contribution is on the physical science basis of climate change, Working Group II deals with impacts, adaptation, and ...
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Jobs in nature and biodiversity are increasing – here’s are 14 of the most interesting:

 
Jobs in nature and biodiversity are increasing – here’s are 14 of the most interesting - Greenbiz
May 13 · A growing number of companies, in the United States as well as Europe, have created positions to support nature and biodiversity
Jobs in nature and biodiversity preservation are golden -- but they're not all that rare in 2024. Source: G Allen Penton via Shutterstock
Dozens of nature jobs are crossing the wires right now. These are front-line roles that will be instrumental in the mission to limit the climate crisis.
Many of these positions have been created in the last half-decade or so, as a growing number of companies, in the United States as well as Europe, seek sustainability professionals to support nature and biodiversity. They aren’t just at firms that ...
| By Theresa Lieb    Read more ...
 

Loss and hope: US park rangers' climate crisis fight:

 
Loss and hope: US park rangers' climate crisis fight - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 13 · American biologist Laura Brennan describes the coin-sized Karner blue butterfly as "very delicate and graceful" with a "lovely blue" coloring and "just a little speckling of orange."
The species, declared endangered in 1992, used to flourish in Indiana Dunes National Park, where Brennan has worked for two decades.
But the butterfly is now believed to have disappeared entirely from the midwestern US park - becoming a victim of rising temperatures fueled by human activity, among other stressors.
Brennan and thousands of others in the National Park Service (NPS) are witnessing firsthand the consequences of the climate crisis and struggling to mitigate its ...
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Manganese sprinkled with iridium reduces need for rare metal without altering rate of green hydrogen production:

 
Manganese sprinkled with iridium reduces need for rare metal without altering rate of green hydrogen production - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 9 · In a study published May 10 in Science, researchers led by Ryuhei Nakamura at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan report a new method that reduces the amount of iridium needed for the reaction by 95%, without altering the rate of hydrogen production. This breakthrough could revolutionize our ability to produce ecologically friendly hydrogen and help usher in a carbon-neutral hydrogen economy.
With 70% of the world covered in water, hydrogen is truly a renewable source of energy. However, extracting hydrogen from water on a scale that can rival fossil fuel-based energy production is not yet possible. Current global energy production is almost 18 ...
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Many people do not understand the link between eating and climate change, ESRI finds:

 
Many people do not understand the link between eating and climate change, ESRI finds - Irish Times
May 9 · Many people are unware that red meat is linked to high carbon emissions, a ESRI study has found. Photograph: iStock
Many people do not yet understand how what they choose to eat can affect climate change, according to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
When invited to list the everyday behaviours that contribute to their carbon footprint, just one in 25 adults mentioned their diet. Any references to food were more likely to be about where it came from or how it was packaged than whether meals contain foods linked to high emissions, such as red meat.
In the study, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, 1,200 adults completed online diaries ...
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Many people in the Arctic are staying put despite climate change, study reports:

 
Many people in the Arctic are staying put despite climate change, study reports - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · However, the researchers did find evidence of whole communities relocating when climate change led to deteriorating conditions. For example, the Chevak Native Village in Alaska already has relocated. In another example, the village of Newtok—a Yup'ik community in Alaska—has spent millions of dollars on relocation efforts, which already have taken more than 30 years and are not yet complete.
"Arctic communities under environmental threats are forced to relocate because flooding, erosion and storms are destroying their homes and infrastructure," said the paper's lead author, Guangqing Chi, professor of rural sociology, demography and public health sciences in Penn ...
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Michigan wants fossil fuel companies to pay for climate change damages:

 
Michigan wants fossil fuel companies to pay for climate change damages - Grist Climate and Energy
May 13 · This coverage is made possible through a partnership with Grist and Interlochen Public Radio in Northern Michigan.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday that she plans to sue fossil fuel companies for knowingly contributing to climate change, harming the state’s economy and ways of life.
“It’s long past time that we step up and hold the fossil fuel companies that are responsible for all these damages accountable,” she said.
With this litigation, Michigan would join dozens of local, tribal and state governments that have taken similar steps to try to make the industry pay for climate damage.
Grist thanks its sponsors. Become ...
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Microsoft, Amazon to invest billions in French tech:

 
Microsoft, Amazon to invest billions in French tech - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 12 · Microsoft on Sunday announced four billion euros in investment for developing data centers in France, joining fellow US giant Amazon in committing to the country's tech infrastructure.
The announcements came on the eve of the seventh Choose France Summit, the aim of which is to attract foreign investors to the country. Macron will host it at the Chateau of Versailles near Paris.
Microsoft's president Brad Smith told AFP the move to strengthen its artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure was the tech giant's biggest-ever investment in France since its arrival 41 years ago.
France's "longstanding commitment to carbon-free energy markets" and its ...
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Minnesota and Wisconsin See Air Quality Warnings From Canadian Wildfires:

 
Minnesota and Wisconsin See Air Quality Warnings From Canadian Wildfires - New York Times - Climate Section
May 13 · Smoke from wildfires drifted south over the weekend.
If you’re in the northern part of the Central United States and the skies look smoky, here’s why: Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin were under an air quality alert on Monday morning because of wildfire smoke from Canada.
On Sunday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued the alert for the entire state, which was set to expire at noon Eastern on Monday. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued an air quality alert for northwestern Wisconsin that was set to last through 10 a.m. on Monday.
Fine particle levels were expected to reach the red air quality index category, the agency said, which also ...
| By Claire Moses    Read more ...
 

Most extreme solar storm in 20 years brings beautiful northern lights:

 
Most extreme solar storm in 20 years brings beautiful northern lights - Washington Post - Climate and Environment
May 10 · An extreme geomagnetic storm hit Earth for the first time in over 20 years, causing stunning aurora displays across northern Europe and very low latitudes in the U.S.
This is the moment aurora chasers have been waiting for.
For the first time since 2003, an extreme geomagnetic storm - the most severe of its kind - hit Earth on Friday evening. Beautiful green, purple and red dancing aurora displays, also known as the northern lights, have been spotted across Europe and very low latitudes in the United States, as far south as Alabama and Florida.
“I started shooting at the end of blue hour and could see some hints of aurora on the camera screen (some purple). Then it ...
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Musk says Tesla charger network will grow, days after layoffs:

 
Musk says Tesla charger network will grow, days after layoffs - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 11 · Tesla boss Elon Musk said Friday the electric vehicle manufacturer would invest over $500 million this year to install new superchargers, just days after a report of massive layoffs in this branch of the company.
"Just to reiterate: Tesla will spend well over $500M expanding our Supercharger network to create thousands of NEW chargers this year," Elon said on X.
"That's just on new sites and expansions, not counting operations costs, which are much higher," he added.
According to tech news outlet The Information on Monday, Tesla was moving to disband its supercharger department, laying off most of its 500 workers as well as its senior director.
The revelation ...
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NASA's Chandra notices the galactic center is venting:

 
NASA's Chandra notices the galactic center is venting - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have located an exhaust vent attached to a "chimney" of hot gas blowing away from the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Their paper describing these results is published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Eruptions from the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way's center called Sagittarius A* (Sgr A* for short) may have created this chimney and exhaust vent.
The chimney and vent are about 26,000 light-years from Earth. The chimney begins at the center of the galaxy and stands perpendicular to the Milky Way's spiral disk. Astronomers had previously identified the chimney using X-ray data from Chandra and XMM-Newton, an ESA ...
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Net Zero Plans Show Limited Climate Ambition on 'Residual' Emissions:

 
Net Zero Plans Show Limited Climate Ambition on 'Residual' Emissions - Science Daily - Earth and Climate
May 24 · Once countries have taken the 'easy' steps to get to net zero -- such as switching to more renewable electricity, electric cars, and heat pumps for homes -- they are still left with some sources of emissions.
These 'residual' emissions continue to be emitted at the point of net zero -- but their effect is cancelled out or moved elsewhere, for example by taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere using methods of carbon dioxide removal, or to other countries via international offsets.
Harder to decarbonise areas include aviation, agriculture, and industry, with fewer alternatives to fossil fuels. Residual emissions are expected to come from these 'hard-to-abate' sources, ...
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Nothing to sneeze at: Experimental model shows pollen can change the weather:

 
Nothing to sneeze at: Experimental model shows pollen can change the weather - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · More than 80 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies due to airborne pollen, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Associated medical costs exceed $3 billion every year, with nearly half of those costs linked to prescription medicine.
Pollen is an equal opportunity irritant, particularly during spring, summer and fall when wind-blown pollen from trees, grasses and weeds can be at their highest levels. Accurate pollen forecasts could help sufferers reduce their exposure the same way that they might on high ozone days.
For the past two years, researchers from NOAA's Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) have been developing the first ...
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Research explores ways to mitigate the environmental toxicity of ubiquitous silver nanoparticles:

 
Research explores ways to mitigate the environmental toxicity of ubiquitous silver nanoparticles - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 11 · Nanoparticles are tiny pieces of material ranging in size from one- to 100-billionths of a meter. In addition to their antimicrobial properties, silver nanoparticles are industrially important as catalysts and in electronics applications.
Despite their ubiquity, little is known about their environmental toxicity or how it might be mitigated.
The findings, published in Nanomaterials, are important because they suggest silver nanoparticles can be produced in formats that preserve their beneficial properties while limiting environmentally negative ones.
Scientists led by Marilyn Rampersad Mackiewicz and Stacey L. Harper assessed how spherical and triangular-shaped ...
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Researchers investigate impact of elevated CO2 concentration on subtropical trees:

 
Researchers investigate impact of elevated CO2 concentration on subtropical trees - PHYS.ORG - Biology
May 10 · In a study published in Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, researchers from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators investigated the effects of elevated CO2 concentration on leaf gas exchange, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, leaf and stem hydraulic conductivity, and seedling growth of four evergreen and four deciduous tree seedlings in the Ailaoshan subtropical forest in Yunnan.
After one year of treatment, they measured the leaf gas exchange, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, leaf hydraulic conductance, and stem hydraulics of the four evergreen and four deciduous species.
It was ...
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Researchers share road map promoting sustainable fishing:

 
Researchers share road map promoting sustainable fishing - PHYS.ORG - Biology
May 11 · The road map, recently published in the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, can also be used to monitor the genetic diversity of any species—not just fish.
"Fishing is a very important component of our food security" said Dr. Leif Andersson, a professor in the VMBS' Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences. "The marine food chain is also very interconnected, so having low numbers of one type of fish can be detrimental for many other species.
"Unfortunately, over a third of the world's fish populations are in decline due to factors like overfishing and global warming," he said. "Our road map can help the fishing industry keep a closer eye on fish ...
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Researchers shed new light on carboxysomes in key discovery that could boost photosynthesis:

 
Researchers shed new light on carboxysomes in key discovery that could boost photosynthesis - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · Carboxysomes are tiny compartments in certain bacteria and algae that encase particular enzymes in a shell made of proteins. They perform carbon fixation, which is the process of converting carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into organic compounds that can be used by the cell for growth and energy. Scientists have been trying to figure out how these compartments put themselves together.
In their latest research, the team led by Prof. Zeng Qinglu, Associated Professor at HKUST's Department of Ocean Science, has shown the overall architecture of carboxysomes purified from a type of bacteria called Prochlorococcus.
In collaboration with Prof. Zhou Cong-Zhao of the School of ...
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Rivers rise again as rain batters flood-hit south Brazil:

 
Rivers rise again as rain batters flood-hit south Brazil - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 13 · River levels rose again Sunday as strong rains lashed waterlogged southern Brazil, where flooding has killed 145 people and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
Residents of the state of Rio Grande do Sul were bracing for more misery from the new rains, after two weeks of downpours saw rivers burst their banks, swallowing up towns and parts of the regional capital.
More than two million people have been affected by the deluge, which experts link to climate change exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
The levels of "practically all the major rivers in the state are tending to rise," state authorities said Sunday.
The probability of further ...
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Scientists convert chicken fat into energy storage devices:

 
Scientists convert chicken fat into energy storage devices - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 10 · In 2023, global renewable energy capacity experienced an unprecedented almost 50 percent increase versus the previous year, according to the International Energy Agency. But that excess energy must be stored somewhere for the world to benefit from its production later. For example, sunny days in California have recently triggered negative energy prices due to excess supply from rooftop solar panels.
Recent efforts to design high-performance storage devices have taken advantage of carbon materials, such as graphene, because of their efficient charge transportation and natural abundance, but their fabrication is expensive and generates pollution and greenhouse ...
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Scientists unlock key to breeding 'carbon gobbling' plants with a major appetite:

 
Scientists unlock key to breeding 'carbon gobbling' plants with a major appetite - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · The discovery, made by scientists from The Australian National University (ANU) and the University of Newcastle (UoN), could help engineer climate-resilient crops capable of sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more efficiently, helping to produce more food in the process.
Cyanobacteria are commonly known for their toxic blooms in lakes and rivers. But these little blue-green bugs are widespread, also living in the world's oceans.
Although they can pose an environmental hazard, the researchers describe them as "tiny carbon superheroes." Through the process of photosynthesis, they play an important role in capturing about 12% of the world's carbon dioxide each year.
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Second night of auroras seen 'extreme' solar storm:

 
Second night of auroras seen 'extreme' solar storm - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 12 · Auroras lit up skies across swaths of the planet for the second night in a row on Saturday, after already dazzling Earthlings from the United States to Tasmania to the Bahamas the day before.
A powerful solar storm - which could continue into Sunday - has triggered spectacular celestial shows usually confined to the far northern reaches of the planet, hence their nickname of the "northern lights."
"I have the sensation of living through a historic night in France... It was really charged, with solar particles and emotions," Eric Lagadec, an astrophysicist at the Observatoire de Cote d'Azur, wrote on social media after the first night.
"Find good spots, away from ...
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Sky-high vanity: Constructing the world's tallest buildings creates high emissions, researchers say:

 
Sky-high vanity: Constructing the world's tallest buildings creates high emissions, researchers say - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 10 · Burj Khalifa isn't unique in this respect. "Vanity height"—the extra height from a skyscraper's highest occupied floor to its architectural top—shapes city skylines around the globe.
In a world where environmental concerns are paramount, is such architectural vanity justifiable?
Building tall is not just about architecture; it's big business. Being ranked among the world's tallest buildings can transform an otherwise ordinary skyscraper into a globally recognized icon. This creates an incentive to add vanity height.
Our proposed solution is to rethink the global standard for ranking the world's tallest buildings.
The way we measure the height of ...
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Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry:

 
Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry - PHYS.ORG - Technology
May 13 · The car, launched last year by Chinese automaker BYD, sells for around $12,000 in China, but drives well and is put together with craftsmanship that rivals U.S.-made electric vehicles that cost three times as much. A shorter-range version costs under $10,000.
Tariffs on imported Chinese vehicles probably will keep the Seagull away from America's shores for now, and it likely would sell for more than 12 grand if imported.
But the rapid emergence of low-priced EVs from China could shake up the global auto industry in ways not seen since Japanese makers exploded on the scene during the oil crises of the 1970s. BYD, which stands for "Build Your Dreams," could be a nightmare ...
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Solar Storm Hits Earth, Sends Stunning Light Shows Across Northern Hemisphere:

 
Solar Storm Hits Earth, Sends Stunning Light Shows Across Northern Hemisphere - Huffington Post
May 10 · A powerful solar storm put on an amazing skyward light show across the globe overnight but has caused what appeared to be only minor disruptions to the electric power grid, communications and satellite positioning systems.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said extreme geomagnetic storm conditions continued Saturday, and there were preliminary reports of power grid irregularities, degradation of high-frequency communications and global positioning systems.
But the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that as of early Saturday morning, no FEMA region had reported any significant impact from the storms.
NOAA predicted that strong flares ...
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Solar storm puts on brilliant light show across the globe, but no serious problems reported:

 
Solar storm puts on brilliant light show across the globe, but no serious problems reported - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 11 · A powerful solar storm put on an amazing skyward light show across the globe overnight but has caused what appeared to be only minor disruptions to the electric power grid, communications and satellite positioning systems.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said extreme geomagnetic storm conditions continued Saturday, and there were preliminary reports of power grid irregularities, degradation of high-frequency communications and global positioning systems.
But the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that, so far, no FEMA region had reported any significant impact from the storms. The U.S. Department of Energy said Saturday it is not aware of ...
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Stable magnetic bundles achieved at room temperature and zero magnetic field:

 
Stable magnetic bundles achieved at room temperature and zero magnetic field - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · Their work is published in Nature Communications.
Topological magnetic structures are a type of spin arrangement with nontrivial topological properties. These structures hold promise as the next-generation data carriers and could overcome the limitations of traditional magnetic storage technologies in spintronics.
In previous research, the team proposed a method for inducing magnetic skyrmion bundles in a chiral helimagnetic material called FeGe. However, achieving stable magnetic bundles at room temperature and without an external magnetic field remained a significant challenge for practical applications in spintronics.
To address this challenge, the researchers ...
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Study reveals mechanisms of hydrodynamic escape in low-mass exoplanets:

 
Study reveals mechanisms of hydrodynamic escape in low-mass exoplanets - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · A study published in Nature Astronomy and conducted by Guo Jianheng from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences offers a perspective on the violent atmospheric escape processes of low-mass exoplanets, specifically a process known as hydrodynamic escape.
It reveals various driving mechanisms affecting the hydrodynamic escapes and proposes a new classification method to understand these escape processes.
Exoplanets, which refer to planets outside our solar system, are a popular subject in astronomical research. The atmospheres of these planets can leave the planet and enter space for various reasons. One such reason is hydrodynamic escape, which is the ...
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The week in climate policy: 4 updates you need to know:

 
The week in climate policy: 4 updates you need to know - Greenbiz
May 10 · The USDA is handing out climate certifications to beef products that are anything but climate-friendly; 25 states file a lawsuit against the EPA’s power plants emissions rules.
The USDA's climate label for feedlots such as this one is leading to calls for more transparency. Photo: Shutterstock/B Brown
Here are the major climate policy developments for the week of May 6-10:
[Continue the conversation on climate policy at Circularity 24 (May 22-24, Chicago), the leading conference for professionals building the circular economy.]
| By Leah Garden    Read more ...
 

Things I wish everyone knew about solar geoengineering | Make Sunsets:

 
Things I wish everyone knew about solar geoengineering | Make Sunsets - Climate Engineering (Lockley - Playlist)
May 10 · The more you know...\n\nMake Sunsets deploys reflective clouds in the stratosphere to cool Earth — a bold solution inspired by the natural cooling effects of volcanoes. It's sunscreen for planet Earth.\n\nLearn more at: https://www.makesunsets.com\nBuy Cooling Credits now: https://makesunsets.com/products/join-the-next-balloon-launch-and-cool-the-planet\n\nWe believe that solar geoengineering is the immediate, necessary solution to cool the planet and buy us time to transition to a more sustainable future. Efforts to fight climate change need time, a luxury only stratospheric aerosol injection can provide today. \n\nJoin us in climate action. One way you can combat global warming ... | By Make Sunsets    Read more ...
 

Unusual floods in eastern Congo causing hardship to almost half a million people, WFP says:

 
Unusual floods in eastern Congo causing hardship to almost half a million people, WFP says - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · Floods caused by unusually heavy rains in eastern Congo caused hardship for more than 470,000 people, the World Food Program said Wednesday.
Heavy rains late last year caused rivers and lakes in the South Kivu and Tanganyika provinces to overflow, destroying crops, blocking roads and forcing villagers to seek refuge in temporary shelters. The World Food Program attributed the heavy rains to climate change.
One farmer told WFP that he was struggling to feed his family of six after losing his crops to floods, and was living in a temporary shelter with other families displaced by the inundation.
The WFP report said the people impacted by the floods are also vulnerable ...
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Weaker ocean currents lead to decline in nutrients for North Atlantic ocean life during prehistoric climate change:

 
Weaker ocean currents lead to decline in nutrients for North Atlantic ocean life during prehistoric climate change - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 11 · The North Atlantic ocean is a hub of biological activity, due in large part to the Gulf Stream, which supplies a rich current of nutrients. Scientists have speculated that our changing climate may lead to a decline of nutrients and biological activity in the North Atlantic due to a weakening of the ocean circulation - but this theory has previously been supported only by models.
Now, by studying sediments buried at the Gulf Stream's origin, the team has conducted a first-of-its-kind investigation into the impact of a similar climate-induced decline nearly 13,000 years ago, when Earth exited the last ice age.
The paper, "A Diminished North Atlantic Nutrient Stream During ...
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Why you should stop using so much hot water:

 
Why you should stop using so much hot water - Washington Post - Climate and Environment
May 11 · Heating water gobbles energy, leading to higher utility bills and more planet-warming emissions.
You may not be giving a second thought to setting your washing machine on the hot cycle, cranking your showers to a steamy temperature or scrubbing your dirty dishes under a stream of scalding water.
If you did, you’d find that you probably don’t need to use so much hot water - and that you could be saving energy and cutting your utility bills. Water heating is responsible for more than 10 percent of both annual residential energy use and consumer utility costs, the biggest share after air conditioning and heating, according to the Energy Department. An American household ...
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Wildfires in old-growth Amazon forest areas rose 152% in 2023, study shows:

 
Wildfires in old-growth Amazon forest areas rose 152% in 2023, study shows - PHYS.ORG - Earth
May 10 · In an analysis of satellite images, the authors detected a rise in forest wildfires from 13,477 in 2022 to 34,012 in 2023. The main cause was drought. The region has been experiencing longer and more frequent dry periods. There were prolonged droughts in 2010 and 2015-16, which left the forest more prone to fire and led to fragmentation of the plant cover. Another severe drought began last year and is still in progress, making the situation still worse.
According to surveys by the National Space Research Institute (INPE), the number of fires throughout the Amazon in the first three months of 2023 was 7,861, more than in any of the previous eight years and more than half the ...
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World Bank tiptoes into fiery debate over meat emissions:

 
World Bank tiptoes into fiery debate over meat emissions - Climate Change News - Politics
May 10 · The bank has advised wealthy nations to cut subsidies for high-emissions foods but stopped far short of promoting veganism
A chicken farm in Switzerland (Photos: Greenpeace)
The World Bank has called for governments in wealthy countries to shift subsidies from high-emitting to low-emitting foods in a landmark new report, but stopped short of criticising meat or telling people what to eat.
While scientists have long recognised that vegan and vegetarian diets are far better for the climate than typical Western meat-eating ones, governments and international bodies have often shied away from explicit calls for the public to consume fewer animal products.
Experts ...
| By Joe Lo    Read more ...
 

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