Washington Post: “Researchers studied the effect of five laws requiring supermarkets and restaurants to reduce waste, part of a broader effort to keep food out of landfills, where it contributes to climate change…Nearly every state-led effort to ban food waste analyzed by researchers appears to be failing — except one, according to a new study. The study, published Thursday in the journal Science, singled out Massachusetts for reducing the amount of food that gets tossed in the trash. But its more troubling findings in other states reveal how one of the most seemingly straightforward ways to tackle climate change is, in practice, a tough problem to solve…”
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Category Archives: Climate Change
Where Are the Trees?
JSOR Daily: “Trees are more than just a pretty sight in urban environments. Nestled amidst sidewalks, pavement, and concrete, the sight of an oak or maple tree has always been a refreshing touch of home for me in a bustling city. Beyond their aesthetic value, trees provide numerous tangible benefits to the holistic environmental health… Continue Reading
U.S. Landslide Inventory and Susceptibility Map
“Landslides are a damaging, disruptive, and potentially deadly geologic hazard. While landslides occur in every U.S. State, their impacts are often a localized and episodic phenomenon, plus landslide types and triggering mechanisms vary widely across the country. Looking at past incidents help us to understand and prepare for landslides, but information about historic landslide events… Continue Reading
Selling a Mirage – The world is drowning in plastic
ProPublica: “Last year, I became obsessed with a plastic cup. It was a small container that held diced fruit, the type thrown into lunch boxes. And it was the first product I’d seen born of what’s being touted as a cure for a crisis. Plastic doesn’t break down in nature. If you turned all of… Continue Reading
FHFA Releases Mortgage Loan and Natural Disaster Dashboard
“The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) released an online risk analysis tool [and a FAQ] that provides geographic estimates for physical risks from various types of natural disasters as well as nationwide data on housing and the mortgage market. The tool — known as the Mortgage Loan and Natural Disaster Dashboard — is intended to give… Continue Reading
On Slicks and Satellites: An Open Source Guide to Marine Oil Spill Detection
Bellingcat: “Almost every week, oil spills are reported somewhere in the world. From ships dumping contaminating ballast water or breaking down on coral reefs, to direct attacks on oil pipelines and tankers. The larger the spill, the bigger the media attention. This year alone, off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, a Bellingcat investigation found… Continue Reading
The world is pumping out 57 million tons of plastic pollution a year
“A new study from the University shines a light on the enormous scale of uncollected rubbish and open burning of plastic waste in the first ever global plastics pollution inventory. Researchers used A.I. to model waste management in more than 50,000 municipalities around the world. This model allowed the team to predict how much waste… Continue Reading
Researchers use AI to map drought-prone regions in Canada
National Drought Mitigation Center: “Drought is a significant threat to Canada’s agriculture, water resources and ecosystems. A recent study by the University of Ottawa and Laval University uses Artificial Intelligence to map drought-prone regions in the country. By using deep-learning techniques and data from the Canadian Drought Monitor and ERA5-Land, the study provides an analysis… Continue Reading
Climate change: IPCC report is ‘code red for humanity’
“Human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Scientists are also observing changes across the whole of Earth’s climate system; in the atmosphere, in the oceans, ice floes, and on land. Many of these changes are unprecedented, and some of the shifts are in motion now,… Continue Reading
Canada’s Record-breaking 2023 Wildfires
World Resources Institute – Released Nearly 4 Times More Carbon than Global Aviation– “Canada’s 2023 wildfires made international headlines, causing billions of dollars in property damage, displacing thousands of people from their homes, and spewing air pollution that traveled as far as Europe and China. A new analysis shows that the wildfires also had a… Continue Reading
New ocean acidification maps of U.S. waters
NOAA Research – “Online dashboard makes it easy to see how chemical changes differ in various location. Researchers from NOAA have produced a new online dashboard on the National Marine Ecosystem Status website that shows how ocean acidification is impacting eleven different marine ecosystems in the U.S. These graphs, charts and mapped products, which were… Continue Reading
Advanced Recycling: Does Big Plastic’s Idea Work?
CBS Reports – “As America grapples with an escalating plastic crisis, the city of Houston, ExxonMobil, and other partners announced a new program that promised to recycle nearly all of the city’s plastic waste. However, after two years, the program has yet to fully materialize. Critics argue that the evidence suggests it never will. And… Continue Reading
