France passes law to ban all oil and gas production by 2040

PARIS — France's parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories.

Under that law that passed a final vote on Tuesday, existing drilling permits will not be renewed and no new exploration licenses will be granted.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/energy/2017/12/19/france-passes-law-ban-all-oil-and-gas-production-2040/966132001/

Article courtesy of USA Today by The Associated Press

Is Seaweed the Next Big Thing in Sustainable Food?

As Tollef Olsen throws a white buoy labeled “SEAFARM” into Portland, Maine’s Casco Bay on a cold, clear November day, he reminisces about talking to the Maine Sea Coast Vegetables founder Shep Erhart back in the early 1980s about the environmental benefits of farming seaweed.
Olsen recites: “No land, no fresh water, no fertilizer, no pesticides [used]…it also sequesters carbon.” But the big question was always, would people actually eat it? “Erhart would say, ‘There’s just not enough of a market.’ Now, he’s like, ‘Yup, it’s time. It’s working.’”
https://civileats.com/2017/12/20/is-seaweed-the-next-big-thing-in-sustainable-food/
Article courtesy of Civil Eats by Lisa Held

This Is The World’s First Fully Solar Train

The Australian beach town of Byron Bay has a traffic problem–especially during holidays, when tourists cause gridlock on local streets. Until recently, there were few options for public transit. But the town now has a second option for traveling one common route: The world’s first fully solar-powered train, running on a restored train line that was out of use for more than a decade.
https://www.fastcompany.com/40509756/this-is-the-worlds-first-fully-solar-train
Article courtesy of Fast Company by Adele Peters

The hyperloop industry could make boring old trains and planes faster and comfier

The promise of hyperloop ranks near the top of the spectacular index: a network of tubes that will shoot people and their things from city to city at near supersonic speeds. But even if you never clamber into a levitating pod, the work being done now to make hyperloop a reality could make your future journeys—whether by plane, train, or automobile—faster, comfier, and cooler.  https://www.wired.com/story/hyperloop-spinoff-technology/
Article courtesy of Wired. by Meredith Rutland Bauer

Shutdown of coal-fired power plant results in significant fetal health improvement in downwind areas

First study to show fetal health improvement as a result of a coal-fired power plant shutdown due to direct federal level regulation on single pollution source finds 15 percent reduction in likelihood of having a low birth weight baby and 28 percent reduction in likelihood of a preterm birth in areas downwind of the power plant.   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171221122409.htm
Article Courtesy of Science Daily source: Lehigh University

UW’s robotic fleet will probe under Antarctic ice shelves for clues to future sea-level rise

Later this month, a University of Washington researcher will heave a half-million dollars’ worth of robotic sensors into the frigid waters off Antarctica — and hope for the best.
If all goes well, the drones could gather some of the most extensive measurements ever from beneath the continent’s vast and vulnerable Western ice shelf. If things go wrong, the bots could vanish into the labyrinth of cavities and crevasses under the ice, never to be heard from again.  http://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article191577664.htmlArticle courtesy of The Olympian by Sandi Doughton / The Seattle Times

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article191577664.html#storylink=cpy

Winds of worry: US fishermen fear forests of power turbines

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — East Coast fishermen are turning a wary eye toward an emerging upstart: the offshore wind industry.
In New Bedford, Massachusetts, the onetime whaling capital made famous in Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick,” fishermen dread the possibility of navigating a forest of turbines as they make their way to the fishing grounds that have made it the nation’s most lucrative fishing port for 17 years running.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/winds-of-worry-us-fishermen-fear-forests-of-power-turbines/2017/12/25/15272706-e97d-11e7-956e-baea358f9725_story.html?utm_term=.3a3ae07d3989
Article courtesy of The Washington Post by Philip Marcelo/Associated Press

All the big changes happening (and not happening) at the MBTA and when to expect them

Last week’s arrival of the first new Orange Line train cars provided another reminder of the MBTA’s ongoing quest to improve service. And whether or not passengers have started noticing, the agency says its transformation is “gaining speed.”  https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2017/12/20/mbta-changes
Article courtesy of Boston.com by Nik Decosta Klipa

What needs to happen before electric cars take over the world

Faster than anyone expected, electric cars are becoming as economical and practical as cars with conventional engines. Prices for lithium-ion batteries are plummeting, while technical advances are increasing driving ranges and cutting recharging times.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/18/business/electric-car-adoption.html
Article courtesy of the New York Times by Jack Ewing

France passes law to ban all oil and gas production by 2040

PARIS — France's parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/energy/2017/12/19/france-passes-law-ban-all-oil-and-gas-production-2040/966132001/
Article courtesy of USA Today by Associated Press

UPS orders 125 Tesla big-rig trucks that look as if they were designed for Batman

LOUISVILLE — UPS Inc. is making a big investment in all-electric big rigs by placing an order for 125 of the sleek new semi trucks from Tesla.

Published reports put the cost of the trucks at between $150,000 and $200,000 each and that the UPS order is the largest to date for a vehicle   https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/12/19/ups-orders-125-tesla-big-rig-trucks/967167001/

Article courtesy of USA Today Network James Bruggers, Louisville Courier Journal

Is Seaweed the Next Big Thing in Sustainable Food?

As Tollef Olsen throws a white buoy labeled “SEAFARM” into Portland, Maine’s Casco Bay on a cold, clear November day, he reminisces about talking to the Maine Sea Coast Vegetables founder Shep Erhart back in the early 1980s about the environmental benefits of farming seaweed.
Olsen recites: “No land, no fresh water, no fertilizer, no pesticides [used]…it also sequesters carbon.” But the big question was always, would people actually eat it? “Erhart would say, ‘There’s just not enough of a market.’ Now, he’s like, ‘Yup, it’s time. It’s working.’”
https://civileats.com/2017/12/20/is-seaweed-the-next-big-thing-in-sustainable-food/
Article courtesy of Civil Eats by Lisa Held

2017 will rank among Earth's top 5 warmest years

This year will almost certainly rank as one of the planet's top five warmest years on record, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA. In fact, the top NASA climate scientist reported Monday that 2017 is likely to be the second-warmest year on record, behind 2016, which in turn displaced 2015 from the top spot.  http://mashable.com/2017/12/19/top-5-hottest-years-global-warming-nasa-noaa/#Tn4sU03Vpmq5
Article courtesy of Mashable by Andrew Freedman

This Is The World’s First Fully Solar Train

The Australian beach town of Byron Bay has a traffic problem–especially during holidays, when tourists cause gridlock on local streets. Until recently, there were few options for public transit. But the town now has a second option for traveling one common route: The world’s first fully solar-powered train, running on a restored train line that was out of use for more than a decade.
https://www.fastcompany.com/40509756/this-is-the-worlds-first-fully-solar-train
Article courtesy of Fast Company News by Adele Peters

Australia Powers Up the World’s Biggest Battery — Courtesy of Elon Musk

The battery is the size of an American football field. It is capable of powering 30,000 homes, and its rapid deployment reflects the union of a blackout-prone state and a flashy entrepreneur, Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors, who pledged to complete its construction in 100 days or do it for free.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/world/australia/elon-musk-south-australia-battery.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbusiness-energy-environment
Article courtesy of The New York Times by Adam Baidawi

Too few highway chargers are last `hurdle' for electric cars

Aren't Taking Over Yet

Rolling out super chargers along highways in Europe and North America is key to unlocking sales of electric cars, according to the head of the biggest network provider.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-01/too-few-highway-chargers-are-last-hurdle-for-electric-cars
Article courtesy of Bloomberg by Elizabeth Behrmann

'Super beans' raise hopes in hunger-prone parts of Africa

The so-called "super bean," a fast-maturing, high-yield variety, is being promoted by Uganda's government and agriculture experts amid efforts to feed hunger-prone parts of Africa. It's also a step toward the next goal: the "super, super bean" that researchers hope can be created. The beans are produced by conventional genetic selection, not the contentious genetic modification technologies.
 http://www.bostonherald.com/news/international/2017/12/super_beans_raise_hopes_in_hunger_prone_parts_of_africa
Article courtesy of The Boston Herald by The Associated Press

Climate change cannot be mitigated without carbon capture

The solution can be found at the Hellisheidi geothermal power plant, Iceland’s largest, just outside the capital Reykjavik. Since 2014, the plant has been extracting heat from underground, capturing the carbon dioxide released in the process, mixing it with water, and injecting it back down beneath the earth, about 700 meters (2,300 ft) deep. The carbon dioxide in the water reacts with the minerals at that depth to form rock, where it stays trapped. https://qz.com/1144298/humanitys-fight-against-climate-change-is-failing-one-technology-can-change-that/
Article courtesy of Quartz by Akshat Rathi

04 December Forest gumption: How scientists are tapping everything from drones to pruning shears to stem global warming

December 3, 2017 Kilombero Valley, Tanzania—Andy Marshall, a biologist, yanks on the steering wheel of a battered Nissan station wagon and swings it off a track in the Kilombero Valley of southern Tanzania. Rain from the night before has left hubcap-deep puddles across the road. Mr. Marshall downshifts, swerves onto a recently harvested field of sugar cane, and parks on the furrows. The Nissan shudders for an instant before going quiet. https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2017/1203/Forest-gumption-How-scientists-are-tapping-everything-from-drones-to-pruning-shears-to-stem-global-warming
Article courtesy of CSM by Daniel Grossman

Rising Waters: Can a Massive Barrier Save Venice from Drowning?

A huge barrier designed to protect Venice from sea level rise and storm surges is set to be operational next year. But the project’s engineering limitations and cost overruns are raising questions about the mega-projects that many coastal cities are hoping can save them.http://e360.yale.edu/features/rising-waters-can-a-massive-sea-barrier-save-venice-from-drowning
Article courtesy of Yale Environment 360 by Jeff Goodell

Driverless Shuttle Gets Hit By A Truck During Its Debut Ride In Las Vegas

The shuttle did what it was supposed to do, in that it’s sensors registered the truck and the shuttle stopped to avoid the accident,” the city said in a statement. “Unfortunately the delivery truck did not stop and grazed the front fender of the shuttle. Had the truck had the same sensing equipment that the shuttle has the accident would have been avoided. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/driverless-shuttle-hit-by-truck_us_5a0371bfe4b03deac08af3db?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Article courtesy of Huffington Post by Nina Golgowski

In harsh corner of Uganda, herders fight climate change

The sun is setting over Karamoja. Time for the nomadic herders to return their cattle to thorn-ringed enclosures. They've roamed since first light, searching for pasture in Uganda's poorest region where water and grazing land are scarce. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/harsh-corner-uganda-herders-fight-climate-change-51033758
Article courtesy of ABC News by Adelle Kalakouti/Associated Press

 

Globetrotter, stormchaser George Kourounis brings climate-change message to Edmonton

George Kourounis stood on the precipice of a spitting lake of fire before rappelling down into the depths of the fiery inferno.

The Darvaza Crater in Turkmenistan, known as the 'Door to Hell,' was created when a natural gas field collapsed into an underground cavern, creating a massive burning crater that has been burning for more than 40 years.  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/george-kourounis-angry-planet-edmonton-1.4393168
Article courtesy of CBC New/Edmonton by Wallis Snowdon

There Will Soon Be Floods Of Climate Refugees: Will They Get Asylum?

New Zealand’s new climate change minister hopes to create an experimental humanitarian visa for “climate refugees.”  https://www.fastcompany.com/40491897/there-will-soon-be-floods-of-climate-refugees-will-they-get-asylum
Article courtesy of Fast Company by Adele Peters

Europe Calls for Cutting Car Emissions by a Third. Not Enough, Critics Say.

The proposals by the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, would force automakers to cut vehicle carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2021 levels, and to achieved half of the cuts by 2025.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/08/business/energy-environment/eu-cars-emissions.html
Article courtesy of the New York Times by Jack Ewing

New Utah State University study suggests climate change may already be pushing plants to their limits

If you have a garden, there’s a good chance it is filled with signs of climate change, though they might not always be what you would expect.

It seems obvious that as global temperatures increase, flowers might be inclined to bloom earlier. But Will Pearse, an assistant professor in Utah State University’s Department of Biology, had a hunch that the effects of a changing climate could be more profound.  http://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2017/11/06/new-utah-state-university-study-suggests-climate-change-may-already-be-pushing-plants-to-their-limits/

Article courtesy of Salt Lake Tribune by Emma Penrod

NASA satellite tracks ozone pollution by monitoring its key ingredients

Ozone pollution near Earth's surface is one of the main ingredients of summertime smog. It is also not directly measurable from space due to the abundance of ozone higher in the atmosphere, which obscures measurements of surface ozone.  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171106121306.htm
Article courtesy of Science Daily by Ellen Gray

A glimpse inside the secret site where driverless cars undergo 20,000 tests.

This carefully shrouded 91-acre preserve in the Central Valley is the testing ground for the driverless cars being developed by Waymo, the autonomous-car company that was a division of Google before being spun off last year. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/a-glimpse-inside-the-secret-site-where-driverless-cars-undergo-20000-tests/2017/11/04/874e083c-bf15-11e7-97d9-bdab5a0ab381_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-national%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.a0479302410a
Article courtesy of The Washington Post by Ashley Halsey III

The Largest Ever Tropical Reforestation Is Planting 73 Million Trees

A new project should help prevent–or at least slow down–that hot future. If all goes to plan over the next six years, a project led by Conservation International will become the largest tropical reforestation project in history.  https://www.fastcompany.com/40481305/the-largest-ever-tropical-reforestation-is-planting-73-million-trees

Article courtesy of Fast Company the John Converse Townsend

 

Protecting Norfolk from Flooding Won’t Be Cheap: Army Corps Releases Its Plan

The federal government has proposed a $1.8 billion plan to help protect Norfolk, Virginia, from rising seas and increasingly powerful coastal storms by ringing the city with a series of floodwalls, storm surge barriers and tidal gates.  https://insideclimatenews.org/news/30102017/norfolk-sea-level-rising-flood-protection-plan-army-corps-engineers-climate-change
Article courtesy of Inside Climate News by Nicholas Kusnetz

Refitting Lowell’s industrial past for a sustainable future

Lowell, Massachusetts is commonly known as the cradle of the American industrial revolution. This former mill town was once the epicenter of the textile industry and at the forefront of apparel production. The fourth-largest city in Massachusetts, located an hour outside of Boston, Lowell is proud of its manufacturing legacy, but also recognizes the need to modernize their economy. Over the last few years, the city has leveraged its textile traditions to propel cutting-edge economic development strategies, attracting an influx of small-scale businesses to Lowell’s downtown and historic Acre neighborhood.  https://smartgrowthamerica.org/communities-using-small-scale-manufacturing-build-great-places-lowell-ma/
Article courtesy of Smart Growth America by Ellie Dominquez

General Motors' Fleet Plans for the Future

This past week, General Motors (GM) announced plans to introduce two more electrics vehicles within 18 months to their fleet of cars powered by batteries or fuel cells. This move is part of GM's greater goal of having an emissions free fleet. GM executives predict that the automobile industry is moving towards a standard where cars are emissions free with no traffic accidents and no highway congestion. "The future will be profitable," said Mark Reuss, GM's Chief of Global Produce Development. Full article courtesy of the Boston Globe (written by Bill Vlasic of the New York Times).


Massachusetts' Residents are Frustrated with Public Transportation Options; Willing to Pay for Better Transit

In a report issued by MassMoves, a effort by Massachusetts' legislators to better connect with their constituents, voters expressed an interest in expanded rail and bus services and furthermore, they indicated a willingness to pay for improved transit. State legislators sent the survey to 715 voters and 80% said that Massachusetts' transportation system "was not in good shape". Full article courtesy of the Boston Globe (written by Matt Murphy of the State House News Service).


The Future of Mobility in Cities

Written by a group of international NGOs concerned about the future of transportation and sustainable development, this guide calls for developments in technology, operations and service business models to be ones that support livable, sustainable and prosperous cities. Some of these principles include working together with various stakeholders, prioritizing people over vehicles, shared land use for all modes of transportation (driving, biking, walking, transit) and promoting the growth of electric vehicles with an aim towards zero emissions and renewable energy. Full article.

NYC's Tall Order for Greener Buildings

New York City’s building owners are facing a tall order: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier this month that the city will become the first to mandate that existing buildings—from municipal offices to private businesses, hospitals, and apartments—must drastically curb their carbon emissions. Those who don’t comply will face hefty penalties amounting to as much as $2 million a year for a 1 million-square-foot building.  https://www.citylab.com/environment/2017/09/nyc-building-mandate-in-practice/540360/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheAtlanticCities+%28CityLab%29
Article courtesy of City Lab by Linda Poon

Evaporation could power most of the U.S

In the first analysis of evaporation as renewable energy, the scientists found that evaporation-to-power devices on lakes and reservoirs could generate 325 gigawatts of electricity, or about 70 percent of current U.S. production. Evaporated power also could save large amounts of water in drought-prone regions and be available around the clock, getting around some cyclical challenges of solar and wind, they said.  https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060061719
Article courtesy of E&E News by Crista Marchall

Can This Tesla Alum Build the World’s Greenest Battery?

At Tesla, Peter Carlsson spent nearly five years at Elon Musk’s side, locating various parts of the Model S as the electric car company's global supply chain manager. "The overarching goal of Tesla is to help reduce carbon emissions, and that means low cost and high volume," Musk said back in 2006. "We will also serve as an example to the auto industry, proving that the technology really works and customers want to buy electric vehicles."  https://www.wired.com/story/ev-green-battery-factory-in-the-netherlands-competes-with-the-gigafactory/
Article courtesy of Wired by Eric Niiler

Renewable energy sets new record by producing nearly a third of UK electricity

Nearly a third of all UK electricity came from renewable sources in the second three months of this year, setting a new record for clean energy generation, the Government has revealed.  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/renewable-energy-electricity-new-record-uk-wind-solar-a7972266.html
Article courtesy of Independent by Ian Johnston

Alarm as study reveals world’s tropical forests are huge carbon emission source

The world’s tropical forests are so degraded they have become a source rather than a sink of carbon emissions, according to a new study that highlights the urgent need to protect and restore the Amazon and similar regions.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/28/alarm-as-study-reveals-worlds-tropical-forests-are-huge-carbon-emission-source
Article courtesy of The Guardian by Jonathan Watts

Why Mexico Is So Prone to Strong Earthquakes

Mexico’s location makes the country prone to strong earthquakes because it is in a so-called subduction zone.

Subduction zones are the parts of the earth where one slab of the crust is slowly sliding under another. In Mexico’s case, an oceanic plate — the Cocos — is gradually sinking beneath a continental plate — the North American.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/world/americas/mexico-earthquakes-explainer.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront

Article courtesy of The New York Times by Matt Stevens

Big Energy Backs Hydrogen Power Storage

• Projects seek to hold electricity for weeks or months
• Technology remains expensive, may take decades to develop

           

The secret to switching the global energy system entirely to renewables may lay in the universe’s most abundant substance.
Hydrogen has drawn backing from big energy companies from Royal Dutch Shell Plc to Uniper SE in addition to carmakers BMW AG and Audi AG. They’re supporting research into how the element can be used to store energy for weeks or even months beyond what lithium-ion batteries can manage.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-05/better-than-a-battery-big-energy-backs-hydrogen-power-storage
Article courtesy of Bloomberg by Anna Hirtenstein

Breakthrough on nitrogen generation by researchers to impact climate-change research

Currently the world’s nitrogen cycle is unbalanced because humans are now responsible for adding more fixed nitrogen through ammonium to the environment than natural sources, said researcher Lisa Stein of the University of Alberta. Excess ammonium has implications on the climate and environment, from dead zones in oceans to a greenhouse gas effect 300 times that of carbon dioxide on a molecule to molecule basis.  http://edmontonjournal.com/technology/science/u-of-a-researchers-make-discovery-that-has-impact-on-climate-change-research
Article courtesy of Edmonton Journal by Rob Csernyik

Can this giant turbine turn the tide for ocean energy?

SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick — The next great hope for renewable energy is moored to a dock in this Canadian port city. It resembles a beached Ferris wheel.

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Gallery: Can this giant turbine turn the tide for ocean energy?

Cape Sharp Tidal

Cape Sharp Tidals s

Andrew Maykuth

Timing is everything: The Bay of Fundy tides are on full display in Alma, N.B., where the water level rises and falls more than 40 feet in a few hours.

Andrew Maykuth

The Minas Passage in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, where the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy is organizing the deployment of four different types of in-stream tidal energy generators. Fundy's severe tides are funneled through the three-mile wide passage, magnifying their legendary force. The tides have proven to be a big challenge for engineers designing tidal energy devices. The first turbine deployed in these waters in 2009 got torn apart by the fierce currents.(Andrew Maykuth/Staff)

Andrew Maykuth

The Annapolis Tidal Generating Station in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

Ocean Power Technologies

The PowerBuoy, built by Ocean Power Technologies, captures wave energy rather than tidal forces.

Black Rock Tidal Power

An alternative generator design incorporates an array of smaller turbines that are submerged near the water's surface.

Andrew Maykuth

Christian Richard, director of Cape Sharp Tidal

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Designed to capture the power of the legendary tides of the Bay of Fundy, the 52-foot-diameter Cape Sharp Tidal turbine endured the winter and spring on the seabed in Nova Scotia, generating electricity. Now in port for upgrades, the 1,100-ton machine looks as if it has survived a couple rounds with a powerful adversary.  http://www.philly.com/philly/business/energy/can-this-giant-turbine-turn-the-tide-for-ocean-energy-20170901.html
Article courtesy of The Inquirer-Daily News.com by Andrew Maykuth

Special Report: Boston hurricane barrier eyed; cost estimate $10B

With Tropical Storm Harvey inundating Houston, experts say Boston could face its own extreme flooding crisis in the next century — threatening massive damage and justifying a $10 billion hurricane barrier outside the harbor.  http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2017/08/special_report_boston_hurricane_barrier_eyed_cost_estimate_10b

Coffee, algae and exploding lakes: are these the renewables of the future?

Body heat, heat from crematoriums and exploding lakes: as we shift towards a more sustainable lifestyle, energy could come from surprising places, says Ashley Coates

As we shift towards a more sustainable lifestyle, our next sources of energy might come from some surprising places
In 2011, Worcester Council found itself at the focus of local ire when it unveiled plans to warm a local swimming pool using excess heat from a crematorium.

Rising Temperatures May Limit Aircraft Takeoffs Globally

During the hottest parts of the day, 10 to 30 per cent of fully loaded planes may have to shed a portion of their weight in order to take off safely, states the study.
Published in the journal Climatic Change, the study shows that more frequent heat waves will make it harder for aircraft to take off safely because warming air lessens the ability of airplane wings to generate lift.  http://www.ipsnews.net/2017/08/rising-temperatures-may-limit-aircraft-takeoffs-globally/
Article courtesy of IPS by Rabiya Jeffery

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2017/08/special_report_boston_hurricane_barrier_eyed_cost_estimate_10b

With Tropical Storm Harvey inundating Houston, experts say Boston could face its own extreme flooding crisis in the next century — threatening massive damage and justifying a $10 billion hurricane barrier outside the harbor.  http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2017/08/special_report_boston_hurricane_barrier_eyed_cost_estimate_10b
Article courtesy of The Boston Herald by Jack Encarnacao

Bees Are Bouncing Back From Colony Collapse Disorder

The number of U.S. honeybees, a critical component in the agriculture industry, rose in 2017 from a year earlier, and deaths of the insects attributed to a mysterious malady that’s affected hives in North America and Europe declined, according a U.S. Department of Agriculture honeybee health survey released Tuesday. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-01/good-news-for-bees-as-numbers-recover-while-mystery-malady-wanes
Article courtesy of Bloomberg by Alan Bjerga

Study shows global warming reduces protein in key crops

Rising carbon dioxide levels from global warming will drastically reduce the amount of protein in staple crops like rice and wheat, leaving vulnerable populations at risk of stunted growth and early death, experts warned Wednesday.  http://www.nation.co.ke/news/world/Global-warming-reduces-protein-in-crops/1068-4041662-fklbjrz/index.html
Article courtesy of Daily National by AFP

Mammoth Antarctic iceberg is on the move, while the ice shelf it left behind grieves its loss.

The Delaware-sized iceberg that calved off the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica sometime between July 10 and July 12 is drifting farther from its former home, while breaking into smaller pieces.  http://mashable.com/2017/07/26/antarctic-iceberg-moves-away-larsen-c-new-cracks/#wDYMg5avfOqi
Article courtesy of Reuters by Alister Doyle

Scientists dim sunlight, suck up carbon dioxide to cool planet

OSLO (Reuters) - Scientists are sucking carbon dioxide from the air with giant fans and preparing to release chemicals from a balloon to dim the sun's rays as part of a climate engineering push to cool the planet. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-geoengineering-idUSKBN1AB0J3
Article courtesy of Reuters by Alister Doyle

Climate Change Is Here. It’s Time to Talk About Geoengineering

Let's pretend that the US didn't recently pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Let's also pretend that all the other countries that scolded it for withdrawing also met their Paris pledges on deadline. Heck, let's pretend that that everyone in the whole world did their very best to cut emissions, starting today. Even if all that make-believing came true, the world would still get very hot.  https://www.wired.com/story/lets-talk-geoengineering/
Article courtesy of WIRED- Nick Stockton's Science

The Arctic is full of mercury, and scientists think they know how it’s getting there

The remote Arctic tundra may seem like the last place on Earth human pollution should be causing a problem — yet it’s filled with mercury contamination. That mercury leaks from the soil into rivers and ultimately the Arctic Ocean, contaminating the fish and other sea life that native communities rely on for survival.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/07/12/the-arctic-is-full-of-mercury-and-scientists-think-they-know-how-its-getting-there/?utm_term=.ee39773b8693
Article courtesy of Daily Climate by Chelsea Harvey / Washington Post

Scientists just found a surprising possible consequence from a very small amount of global warming

New research suggests that extreme El Niño events — which can cause intense rainfall, flooding and other severe weather events in certain parts of the world — will occur more and more often as long as humans continue producing greenhouse gas emissions. And even if we’re able to stabilize the global climate at the 1.5-degree threshold, the study concludes, these events will continue to increase in frequency for up to another 100 years afterward. The findings were published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/07/24/it-was-really-a-surprise-even-minor-global-warming-could-worsen-super-el-ninos-scientists-find/?utm_term=.06cd98baad73
Article courtesy of The Washington Post by Chelsea Harvey

Global warming melts ice, alters fabled Northwest Passage

THE ARCTIC CIRCLE (AP) — More than a century has passed since the first successful transit of the treacherous, ice-bound Northwest Passage by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen in 1906. Now The Associated Press is sending a text, video and photo team through the passage, where global warming is melting sea ice and glaciers at an historic rate, altering and opening up the Arctic in a way unprecedented in recorded history.  http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=235&sid=45063233&title=global-warming-melts-ice-alters-fabled-northwest-passage
Article courtesy of The Associated Press by Frank Jordans

Intense storms may diminish protective ozone in Central US.

Stronger storms over the Great Plains—likely induced by climate change—may be chipping away at the key life-protecting layer of our atmosphere.  http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2017/june/Intense-storms-may-diminish-protective-ozone-in
Article courtesy of The Daily Climate by Brian Bienkowski

Carbon in Atmosphere Is Rising, Even as Emissions Stabilize

For more than two years, the monitoring station, along with its counterparts across the world, has been flashing a warning: The excess carbon dioxide scorching the planet rose at the highest rate on record in 2015 and 2016. A slightly slower but still unusual rate of increase has continued into 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/26/climate/carbon-in-atmosphere-is-rising-even-as-emissions-stabilize.html
Article courtesy of the NY Times by Justin Gillis

Brazil's president announces plan to protect forest – after plea from Gisele

The Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen appears to have succeeded where conservationists and scientists have failed: by persuading the president, Michel Temer, to veto legislation that would have slashed protected reserves in the Amazon.  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/20/gisele-brazil-environment-president-michel-temer?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco
Article courtesy of The Guardian by Jonathan Watts

Exxon, BP and Shell back carbon tax proposal to curb emissions

Oil giants ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and Total are among a group of large corporations supporting a plan to tax carbon dioxide emissions in order to address climate change.
The companies have revealed their support for the Climate Leadership Council, a group of senior Republican figures that in February proposed a $40 fee on each ton of CO2 emitted as part of a “free-market, limited government” response to climate change.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/20/exxon-bp-shell-oil-climate-change
Article courtesy of The Guardian by Oliver Milman

The revolutionary technology pushing Sweden toward the seemingly impossible goal of zero emissions

But for Sweden, even that’s not good enough. In February, the country’s green party introduced a bill that would commit the country to reaching net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2045. On June 15, the bill became the Climate Act and the Scandinavian country is now legally bound to deliver on that goal.  https://qz.com/1010273/the-algoland-carbon-capture-project-in-sweden-uses-algae-to-help-the-country-reach-zero-emissions/
Article courtesy of Quartz 

Take a Look at the States Sending the Most Carbon Into the Air

Texas sits at the top of the list -- with more than twice the total carbon emissions of any other state. Despite a surge in wind power there, Texas still depends on fossil fuel-burning generators to serve a large and growing population. Florida, which ranks second in electricity production next to Texas, also comes in second in terms of emissions, according to the report authored by M.J. Bradley & Associates.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-21/take-a-look-at-the-states-sending-the-most-carbon-into-the-air
Article courtesy of Bloomberg by Mark Chediak

Wind, solar surpassed 10 percent of U.S. electricity in March: EIA

Wind and solar accounted for more than 10 percent of U.S. electricity generation for the first time in March, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.
Wind and solar power capacity has been growing in the United States, accounting for an average of up to 7 percent of electricity in 2016.

This Machine Just Started Sucking CO2 Out of the Air to Save US From Climate Change

Sitting on top of a waste incineration facility near Zurich, a new carbon capture plant is now sucking CO2 out of the air to sell to its first customer. The plant, which opened on May 31, is the first commercial enterprise of its kind. By midcentury, the startup behind it–Climeworks–believes we will need hundreds of thousands more.  https://www.fastcompany.com/40421871/this-machine-just-started-sucking-co2-out-of-the-air-to-save-us-from-climate-change
Article Courtesy of Fast Company by Adele Peters

Wind and solar accounted for more than 10 percent of U.S. electricity generation for the first time in March, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.
Wind and solar power capacity has been growing in the United States, accounting for an average of up to 7 percent of electricity in 2016.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-energy-renewables-idUSKBN195291
Article courtesy of Reuters by Valerie Volcovici