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More and more research is coming out about microplastics and food. Stay tuned -- we'll be posting more, in the not-distant future, about what can be done about this.![]()
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Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
www.ctvnews.ca
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
Periodically, we present thought-provoking views as discussion-starters.
How the Energy Transition is Like Farting under the Covers
www.resilience.org
During one week (Monday to Friday) the news ranged from the growing e-waste crisis, to oil companies’ long-term plans to drill, to green bonds for nuclear power. None of it makes sense, except in a ...
Worth considering. Microplastics are all around -- why not reduce their presence if it's easy enough to do?![]()
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www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2023/10/making-meals-without-microplastics-tips-safer-cutting-boards?
Making meals without microplastics: Tips for safer cutting boards
www.ewg.org
Depending on the type of cutting board you use, your home-cooked meals could be contaminated with an unlikely ingredient – microplastics – according to a recent study.
We've discussed these topics a bit -- solar geoengineering, SRM (solar radiation modification).![]()
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A new series promises informative updates on SRM fact and fiction. UCS (Union of Concerned Scientists) is on board.![]()
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sgdeliberation.org/introducing-dsgs-new-series-clearing-the-air-on-solar-geoengineering-communica...![]()
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Stay tuned.
sgdeliberation.org
This entry is part 1 of 1 in the series Solar Geoengineering Communications SeriesBy Whitney Peterson, Director of Communications I first learned about solar geoengineering about fifteen years ago whi...
An 'unsung hero' in the spotlight. Humanity will probably need all the drought-tolerant food we can get.![]()
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Colorado farmer finds success with drought-resilient millet » Yale Climate Connections
yaleclimateconnections.org
The crunchy grain could gain popularity as the climate warms.
The Passive House is a highly significant innovation. This 1.5 min. podcast might tempt you to buy one. 🙂 (Note: They can be well ventilated with HRV [heat-recovery ventilation]).![]()
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A blizzard put a hyper-efficient home to the test. It passed. » Yale Climate Connections
yaleclimateconnections.org
‘I was sitting in my living room in a T-shirt, and outside it was negative 40 windchill.’
It's not just Lyme disease, but other tick-borne diseases, that seem highly likely to affect more and more people as the planet warms.![]()
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The precautions which can be taken are well known -- but the diseases, all too often, still slip by unnoticed.![]()
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Lyme Disease Is Quietly Debilitating Millions of Americans
www.newsweek.com
How our health agencies have neglected a public health crisis for decades, and a call for Congress to intervene.
The problem of abandoned oil and gas wells in Texas has reappeared.![]()
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Some funds have been appropriated. Action is urgently needed.![]()
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www.yahoo.com
"We want to get to the bottom of this and stop it."
Unfortunately, climate change gets caught up in politics.![]()
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But worsening wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and drought -- as well as many other weather-related events -- won't wait. We can't erase them.![]()
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We need to (somehow) figure out how to all work together on this. Otherwise, it's hard to see how we can attain a sustainable economy and society.![]()
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Florida is about to erase climate change from most of its laws
grist.org
The state is spending big on adapting to floods and rising seas, but Republicans don't want to name the cause.
These lists are worthy of your consideration...![]()
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www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php![]()
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www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
Dirty Dozen™ Fruits and Vegetables with the Most Pesticides
www.ewg.org
Check out EWG's Dirty Dozen list to help decide when you should splurge for organic produce – part of our annual Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™
How to create a sustainable future when PFAS ('toxic forever chemicals') are in so many products? Here is the latest discovery.![]()
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One answer: stop their production, and limit exposure wherever we can. See link below in the comment.
Most US sandwich baggies contain toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals’, analysis says
www.theguardian.com
Testing commissioned by Mamavation blog found high levels of a marker of PFAS in nine of 11 baggies tested
If you have credible evidence to refute claims made in this article, please let us know. We post it because offshore wind power and solar power are so important to a sustainable energy future (and mitigation of climate change).![]()
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www.sierraclub.org
Inside the conspiracy to take down wind and solar power
Sobering food for thought.![]()
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Oil industry has sought to block state backing for green tech since 1960s
www.theguardian.com
Research shows industry lobbying against support for solar panels and electric cars while enjoying subsidies itself
Solutions exist.![]()
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www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=879543577512404&set=gm.349789491257306&idorvanity=233319002904356
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
Anyone who lives near a 'methane hotspot' could potentially make a difference, by expressing concern, suggesting 'covering' a landfill, etc. This can be a way to make a truly significant difference to climate change. Food for thought.![]()
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We'll be posting more details soon about significant methane leaks in developed nations -- that our readers could potentially act to reduce.![]()
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Revealed: the 1,200 big methane leaks from waste dumps trashing the planet
www.theguardian.com
The huge leaks of the potent greenhouse gas will doom climate targets, experts say, but stemming them would rapidly reduce global heating
As many know, there are critical logjams delaying the building of new transmission lines from renewable energy sources, like wind farms.![]()
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To make a fast transition to "clean energy", and thus reduce climate change, many argue that we must speed up the process.![]()
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Here's a potential common-sense solution.![]()
Minnesota Coalition to Advocate for Building Transmission Along Highways
betterenergy.org
NextGen Highways announced today the launch in Minnesota of its first state coalition to promote the co-location of utility and telecommunication infrastructure in existing corridors, like highways an...
According to the Environmental Working Group, these are foods which contain, on average, many times more glyphosate (Roundup, probably carcinogenic) than their non-organic equivalents: non-organic hummus (5x more glyphosate), non-organic oats (700 times more), non-organic granola (300 times more), and non-organic snack bars (320 times more).![]()
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For details, see the Environmental Working Group website at www.ewg.org .
www.ewg.org
The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping you live your healthiest life.
FAQ: Do heat pumps really work in cold weather?![]()
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See below. 🙂 [And they're highly efficient]Feeling the winter chill? ❄ Discover the innovation of Cold Climate Heat Pumps! 🏡 Unlike traditional heaters, these systems excel in cold weather, providing improved benefits, such as utility savings and greater efficiency. ![]()
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Explore more benefits below! 👇
Raising (again) the question:![]()
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Will we act quickly enough to avoid (additional) catastrophic climate change impacts? ![]()
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Barclays to end direct financing of new oil and gas fields
www.bbc.com
The banking giant has been coming under mounting pressure to curb its support for fossil fuels.
Good news from Texas -- making the most of high school...![]()
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High schoolers build solar car that can go 70 miles an hour » Yale Climate Connections
yaleclimateconnections.org
They raced it from Fort Worth to El Paso, Texas.
Richard Heinberg: Always sobering, always informative. Here is his latest. The "scorecard" is an unflinching look at how we're doing re: climate change.![]()
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richardheinberg.com/museletter-370-an-ancient-chinese-text-and-a-2023-scorecard?
Museletter #370: An Ancient Chinese Text and a 2023 Scorecard
richardheinberg.com
MuseLetter #370 / January 2024 by Richard Heinberg Download printable PDF version January's Museletter begins with an essay revisiting the ancient Chinese classic, "Tao Te Ching,&quo...
The world's first green-ammonia-powered ("pollution-free") ship -- made in 100 days, by a team with basically no shipbuilding experience, to show that the energy transition can happen fast! If we want it to. ![]()
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(Green ammonia is made synthetically, with nitrogen and hydrogen --using solar, wind, and/or hydro power).![]()
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Why ‘Twiggy’ Forrest tried to sail a banned 75-metre ship into Dubai
www.smh.com.au
When the port authority knocked back his request to sail a vessel powered by green ammonia into Dubai, Andrew Forrest opted not to try to pull any strings. He was trying to make a point.
This lawsuit recently came to our attention. It's getting national news coverage.![]()
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The Great Salt Lake is rapidly shrinking and Utah has failed to stop it, a new lawsuit says
www.pbs.org
Organizations including the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity say that upstream water has been diverted for decades to farmers growing alfalfa, hay and other crops, as well as new de...
Hard to argue against increasing efficiency like this...![]()
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Digital Freight Networks Can Reduce Truck Emissions
www.aceee.org
Technology can help decarbonize freight by consolidating shipments and assigning them to otherwise empty trucks
A well thought-out summary of the climate challenges that confront us, and the road toward a meaningful set of solutions.![]()
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Record Temperatures, Record Solutions: The Fast-Changing Race for Our Future - RMI
rmi.org
We are in a race between tipping points — and as climate impacts accelerate, so too must climate solutions.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4U7tz8_ozA![]()
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From Kevin Hagen, a Sustainable Business and Renewable Energy Executive:![]()
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Here is a high-impact / low-effort US Climate Action with a one week deadline.![]()
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The short video also explains it.![]()
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The video encourages all companies to sign onto a letter calling for a mission-critical rule from FERC, the federal commission that looks over our energy systems. ![]()
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Support letter is here: lnkd.in/ghF4Uts2![]()
Sign on is here: lnkd.in/gzDRZ2hc![]()
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The context:![]()
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Most of the US’s decarbonization story is about electricity: electrify as much as possible, from cars to buildings to industrial processes, and be sure that electricity comes from clean sources. ![]()
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We already have more than enough clean energy and storage projects proposed - nearly two terawatts - to meet the goal of 80% clean energy by 2030, but the projects are often stuck in interconnection queues across the nation, in large part due to inadequate transmission capacity that prevents them from connecting to the grid.![]()
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Many consider the planning process to bring on new transmission capacity to be broken. It isn’t standardized, often only looks at a small number of near-term considerations, and takes a long time - major lines in the approval pipeline average a 10- to 12-year permit approval process before construction can begin.![]()
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That’s where the support letter comes into the picture. ![]()
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Right now, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (or “FERC”) has an opportunity to finalize systemic transmission reforms. They’ve proposed a planning rule which would standardize and modernize the planning and approval process for new transmission. ![]()
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So now is the moment for companies to look into signing the support letter. The deadline is Friday January 12. ![]()
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As always, please let us know what you think. We are posting this as a public education service.
www.youtube.com
We already have more than enough clean energy and storage projects proposed - nearly two terawatts! - to meet our goal of 80% clean energy by 2030, but the p...
From www.thecommons.earth . This is food for thought.![]()
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The largest contributors to climate change: ![]()
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🛢️ 1. Oil giants - Currently, oil and gas activities contribute approximately 15% of the world's energy-related emissions, amounting to about 5.1 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases.![]()
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🐄 2. Animal agriculture - Livestock also accounts for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions, which includes roughly 37% of methane emissions. ![]()
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🪖 3. Military - Militaries worldwide are some of the largest fuel consumers, responsible for 5.5% of worldwide emissions. ![]()
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💰 4. Billionaires - According to the Guardian, the combined greenhouse gas emissions from the yachts, private jets, mansions, and financial investments of twelve of the world's richest billionaires exceed the yearly energy emissions of 2 million homes.![]()
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🏦 5. Banks - Banks are still financing fossil fuels, thus contributing to the climate crisis. The top 5 contributors are JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).![]()
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💻 6. Tech - Amazon has the largest amount of CO2 emissions per $BN of revenue. The firm has however seen a decrease in its CO2 emissions for the first time in 2023. ![]()
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🏭 7. Conglomerates - Nestlé is the conglomerate with the largest amount of CO2 emissions. While the firm has cut its carbon neutral claims and offsets investments, it claims to invest these resources in reducing emissions instead. ![]()
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Source: Commons
www.thecommons.earth
Sustainable spending made easy. Download the Commons mobile app to turn every purchase into an opportunity for climate action.
An article crossed our desk that aims to correct misconceptions -- since offshore wind can be a source of abundant, clean energy, this is important.![]()
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Contrary to politicians' claims, offshore wind farms don't kill whales. Here's what to know
whyy.org
Scientists say there is no credible evidence linking offshore wind farms to whale deaths. That hasn’t stopped conservative groups and others from making the connection.
Here's renewed hope for efforts to remove PFAS ("forever chemicals") from our drinking water.![]()
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Tampa's new water tech removes "forever chemicals"
www.axios.com
Tampa will be the first U.S. city to use new technology to eliminate dangerous chemicals in its water filtration process.
Battery storage -- working as planned here.![]()
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Battery storage helped Texas power through summer heat » Yale Climate Connections
yaleclimateconnections.org
Solar and wind energy stored in batteries can help prevent rolling blackouts and power failures.
Innovation in the prison system...![]()
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Inmates are nurturing sagebrush seedlings » Yale Climate Connections
yaleclimateconnections.org
The seedlings are transplanted into areas torched by wildfires.
This could be big -- it could be the beginning of a paradigm shift...
Vermont Utility Plans to End Outages by Giving Customers Batteries
www.nytimes.com
Green Mountain Power is asking state regulators to let it buy batteries it will install at customers’ homes, saying doing so will be cheaper than putting up more power lines.
The European Union is reducing “greenwashing." ![]()
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The Parliament and European Commission have reached an agreement to update the EU's list of banned commercial practices. The new rules try to protect consumers from misleading practices, helping them make better purchases. ![]()
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The new bans include:![]()
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(1) Generic environmental claims, like "environmentally friendly," "natural," "biodegradable," "climate neutral," or "eco," if there is insufficient evidence of superior environmental performance related to the claim. Such evidence may be difficult in obtain -- it may require a thorough life cycle assessment.![]()
(2) Claims, based on carbon offset programs, that a product has neutral, limited or positive environmental impact. Other methods (rather than carbon offsets) need to be used to reduce carbon footprint. ![]()
(3) Sustainability labels that are not based on certification frameworks approved by public authorities.![]()
(4) Sustainability claims about time or intensity of use under normal conditions, unless proven. ![]()
(5) Prompting consumers to replace consumables, like printer ink cartridges, earlier than necessary.![]()
(6) Presenting goods as repairable when they are not.![]()
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There is also a new requirement to communicate information about product features that limit durability. And companies cannot present software updates as necessary if they often cause inferior device performance.![]()
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Major steps – toward having companies communicate more reliably the environmental (and other) impacts of their products.
The alarms continue to go off.![]()
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www.newsweek.com/earth-outside-safe-operating-space-humans-sustainability-1826784?![]()
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Find and focus on the "biggest stuff." Coal-burning, methane leaks, other fossil fuel burning... activism may be needed.
Earth may now be outside the "safe operating space" for humans
www.newsweek.com
Six of the nine "planetary boundaries" that regulate the stability of our planet have already been crossed, scientists have warned.
Hope for a transition to clean energy persists...![]()
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Top Five Renewable Energy Projects Making a Global Impact
energycentral.com
With our focus on energy in the US and its technology and political developments, it is all too easy to forget what is going on outside of American borders. This article outlines what the author descr...
One young man's inspiring innovation.![]()
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www.newsweek.com/inventor-fionn-ferreira-has-plan-extract-plastic-oceans-1824106?
Inventor Fionn Ferreira has a plan to extract plastic from the oceans
www.newsweek.com
The 22-year-old chemistry student and entrepreneur says that there's no problem too big to "build something to solve it."
It's a new world's record. The human race is installing 1 GW of solar per day. 1 GW is about what a standard nuclear plant produces, but solar is far cheaper. New nukes cost at least 20¢/ kwh. Solar plus batteries costs under 3¢, and is falling fast.![]()
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World is installing 1GW of solar a day, new figures show
reneweconomy.com.au
An average of more than 1GW a day of new solar is being installed around the world, according to data from BNEF, with China well and truly leading the charge.
A big victory for young people -- albeit reaction from the other side already seems intense.![]()
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Court sides with kids who sued Montana over climate change
thehill.com
A court in Montana on Monday recognized young people’s rights to protection from climate change — siding with a group of young people who alleged that state policy violates their rights to su...
Climate change is here, and it can be ruinous. We know the elements of a comprehensive solution -- but we need to act.![]()
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How Climate Change Turned Lush Hawaii Into a Tinderbox
t.co
Declining rainfall, rising temperatures and invasive species have left the islands more susceptible to wildfires.