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Sociologist Holly Jean Buck Advocates for Equitable Clean Energy Transition and Democratic Planning

Sociologist Holly Jean Buck Advocates for Equitable Clean Energy Transition and Democratic Planning

Sociologist Holly Jean Buck emphasizes that building clean energy infrastructure alone is insufficient to achieve international climate goals. She argues that an equitable process for phasing out fossil fuels must accompany clean energy development. Buck proposes the creation of democratic planning mechanisms to establish timelines for decarbonization. Her vision includes transitioning the fossil fuel industry's infrastructure and personnel towards carbon removal efforts and fostering social buy-in for shifting energy sources. Additionally, Buck advocates for treating climate technologies, such as carbon removal, as public utilities managed by governments or regulatory bodies. Her work focuses on the social, ethical, and political dimensions of emerging climate and energy policies, aiming to ensure just and equitable implementation of climate solutions. She explores governance structures for various climate responses, from local natural resource management to global climate interventions like solar radiati...

The world's largest oat milk producer has joined an unusual climate journalism campaign

The world's largest oat milk producer has joined an unusual climate journalism campaign

The world’s largest producer of oat milk, Oatly, is pushing its customers and their governments to act on climate change, in a new milk carton campaign that's taking off in Europe and is expected in the United States within the next few months

Valmet to Supply Biomass Technology for Louisiana Green Fuels Project

Valmet to Supply Biomass Technology for Louisiana Green Fuels Project

Valmet has been selected by Strategic Biofuels to provide biomass power generation and flue gas cleaning technology for the Louisiana Green Fuels (LGF) project. This project, located in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, is designed to combine carbon-negative power generation with permanent carbon capture and sequestration. The facility aims to produce electricity with a deeply carbon-negative footprint by utilizing renewable forestry residuals and storing captured carbon dioxide in a permitted geologic reservoir. Valmet's scope of work includes supplying a boiler island built around a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler and advanced flue gas cleaning systems. The LGF project, at full buildout, is designed for over 300 megawatts of gross generating capacity and is expected to consume more than 3.5 million tonnes of sustainably sourced forestry residuals annually.

Arizona Republic

Environment is a bigger issue for Latinos than non-Latinos, data says

Environment is a bigger issue for Latinos than non-Latinos, data says

The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce published new data that shows environmental conditions are a major issue Latinos care about.

Sustainable AI Group Launches Dashboard to Rank AI Models by Energy Intensity Amidst Corporate Disclosure Gaps

Sustainable AI Group Launches Dashboard to Rank AI Models by Energy Intensity Amidst Corporate Disclosure Gaps

Sustainable AI Group Launches Dashboard to Rank AI Models by Energy Intensity Amidst Corporate Disclosure Gaps

Mindfulness Interventions Show Limited Impact on Pro-Environmental and Socially Equitable Behaviors in U.S. Study

Mindfulness Interventions Show Limited Impact on Pro-Environmental and Socially Equitable Behaviors in U.S. Study

A recent study conducted among university students in the U.S. investigated whether an eight-week online mindfulness intervention could influence pro-environmental behavior, distributive choices, and related policy preferences. The randomized controlled trial successfully increased participants' mindfulness, self-compassion, and connectedness to nature, while also reducing perceived stress. However, these psychological improvements did not translate into significant changes in incentivized pro-environmental behaviors, such as willingness to pay for CO2 certificates or choose environmentally friendly travel options. Similarly, the intervention showed no robust evidence of altering preferences for social equality, including income distribution or progressive taxation. The study utilized various measures, including behavioral tasks with real monetary consequences and policy preference surveys, to assess these outcomes. The findings suggest a complex relationship between mindfulness and socially relevant econo...

2.2 Million Americans Lack Running Water Amidst Broader Water Scarcity Concerns

2.2 Million Americans Lack Running Water Amidst Broader Water Scarcity Concerns

Approximately 2.2 million Americans currently live without running water in their homes, highlighting a significant domestic water access issue. This situation is being addressed by human rights non-profits working to bridge this 'water gap.' The lack of running water for these individuals is contrasted with global statistics, where nearly a quarter of the world's population lacks drinking water on premises, and almost half lack safely managed sanitation. The broader context suggests that such domestic challenges are a precursor to future water shortages, which are anticipated due to climate change. The experience of water rationing, even for a short period, serves as a practical exercise for a future where climate chaos is expected to exacerbate water scarcity.

New Orleans Students Upcycle 14 Million Pounds of Glass into Coastal Sand to Combat Land Loss

New Orleans Students Upcycle 14 Million Pounds of Glass into Coastal Sand to Combat Land Loss

Two college students in New Orleans, Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz, founded Glass Half Full, a company that upcycles discarded glass into sand for coastal restoration. New Orleans previously lacked an active glass recycling system, leading millions of pounds of glass bottles from bars, breweries, and wineries to be sent to landfills. The city's regular recycling bins only accepted paper and plastic, and a single glass bottle could contaminate an entire bin, redirecting it to a landfill. Trautmann and Steitz began their operation in a fraternity backyard with a small glass-crushing machine, which has since scaled up to process thousands of bottles daily. This initiative addresses both the waste management problem and the critical issue of Louisiana's rapidly disappearing coastline, which loses up to 75 square kilometers of wetlands annually due to erosion and human activities. The upcycled glass sand has been tested and deemed safe for environmental use, finding a powerful second life in rebuilding wet...

Study Links 122 Fossil Fuel Companies to Worsening Western U.S. Water Shortages

Study Links 122 Fossil Fuel Companies to Worsening Western U.S. Water Shortages

A new study published in the Nature magazine affiliate Communications Earth & Environment has identified 122 major oil, gas, coal, and cement companies as partially responsible for the worsening water shortages in the Western United States. The research, conducted by scientists from the University of California at Merced and the Union of Concerned Scientists, found that climate change from all greenhouse gas emissions over the past 70 years has led to a 36% decline in annual average mountain snowpacks, a primary source of surface water in Western states. Approximately 40% of this decline is directly linked to the climate pollution generated by these 122 companies. The study also indicates a 13% reduction in average annual streamflows from mountains and a 4.3% increase in the need for agricultural irrigation due to global warming from greenhouse gas emissions. About half of these streamflow declines and increased irrigation needs are attributed to the warming caused by the identified companies, resulting in...

North Korean Media Highlights Reykjavík's Geothermal Energy Use and 'Zero-Carbon City' Status

North Korean Media Highlights Reykjavík's Geothermal Energy Use and 'Zero-Carbon City' Status

North Korea's Rodong Sinmun has reported on Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, emphasizing its extensive use of geothermal energy and its designation as a 'zero-carbon city.' The report details that Reykjavík, whose name translates to 'smoking hole' due to steam from hot springs, has been a pioneer in geothermal utilization since 1928. Iceland has continuously expanded its geothermal heat supply system over the past 80 years, making it a global leader in this field. The city uses hot springs to provide a steady supply of heat to public facilities and residential households through advanced technology, including water storage tanks and pipelines. Additionally, excess heat from electricity generation is reused, and some industrial facilities and greenhouses benefit from this geothermal energy. The article highlights that hot spring water is readily available in public bathhouses, underscoring the pervasive integration of geothermal resources into the city's infrastructure.

U.S. Coastal Areas Sinking Faster Than Previously Estimated, Study Reveals

U.S. Coastal Areas Sinking Faster Than Previously Estimated, Study Reveals

A study conducted by researchers from Tufts University and Virginia Tech has revealed that 71.5% of U.S. coastal areas are subsiding at a rate exceeding 0.1 centimeters (0.04 inches) per year. The Gulf Coast is experiencing the most pronounced rates of sinking, while the East Coast also shows near-ubiquitous subsidence. Approximately 43% of the U.S. coast is sinking by 0.2 centimeters or more annually, and nearly a quarter (23.3%) is subsiding by at least 0.3 centimeters per year. The study, which analyzed over 190 million data points from 2007 to 2020, indicates that both natural geological processes, such as the compaction of soft sediment and glacial isostatic adjustment, and human activities, like excessive groundwater pumping, contribute to this phenomenon. This widespread subsidence exacerbates the risks associated with rising sea levels.

Uber Introduces New Electric Ride Incentives and Smart Charging Tools

Uber Introduces New Electric Ride Incentives and Smart Charging Tools

Uber Introduces New Electric Ride Incentives and Smart Charging Tools