The Economist – Life is getting back to normal, if not quite everywhere. Jun 22nd 2022. “In Vienna they call it Lebenskunst—the art of living well—and now that restaurants and museums in the Austrian capital have reopened, it is once again the perfect place to practise the art. A new survey of “liveability” by EIU,… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Climate Change
Tools and Strategies for Pollinator Protection
EPA – “There are many ways to minimize the exposure of bees and other pollinators to pesticides. This page describes some pollinator protection strategies used at the local, state, and federal level to preserve pollinators and their habitats. These strategies include Best Management Practices (BMPs), Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3s), and mitigation measures to reduce… Continue Reading
Most of the World Breathes Unsafe Air, Taking More Than 2 Years Off Global Life Expectancy
Air Quality Life Index, June 2022 Annual Update By Michael Greenstone, Christa Hasenkopf and Ken Lee: “During the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world’s economy slowed. Yet, the global annual average particulate pollution (PM2.5) was largely unchanged from 2019 levels. At the same time, growing evidence shows air pollution—even when experienced at very… Continue Reading
Measuring the Life-Saving Effects of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the U.S.
Climate Impact Lab: “As we face the punishing impacts of global climate change it can be easy to wonder, do efforts to reduce emissions by individual countries, states or cities really make a difference? Research by the Climate Impact Lab, which measures the economic and social costs of climate change, can help answer this question.… Continue Reading
Short-and Long-Term Solutions to Extreme Drought in the Western United States
CRS – Statement of Charles V. Stern, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy, Before Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate Hearing on “Short-and Long-Term Solutions to Extreme Drought in the Western United States” June 14, 2022: “Chairman Manchin, Ranking Member Barrasso, and Members of the committee, thank you for inviting the Congressional Research Service… Continue Reading
Net Zero Stocktake 2022
“Assessing the status and trends of net zero target setting across countries, sub-national governments and companies. Net zero is the dominant lens through which countries, states and regions, cities and companies approach decarbonisation. With global coverage of net zero nearly universal at the national level now, the big question is whether a sufficient proportion of… Continue Reading
Winners of the 2022 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
The Atlantic – “Entrants in this year’s contest were invited to submit images showcasing life on Earth, and illustrating some of the many threats that our planet faces. Images from this gallery were originally published in bioGraphic, an independent magazine about nature and conservation powered by the California Academy of Sciences, and media partner of… Continue Reading
Google Maps now helps you find fresh air
The Verge: “Google Maps on both iOS and Android has a new Air Quality layer that can be useful when planning your next hike or bike ride in good times, or to plan your escape from smog and smoke in bad. The new layer displays an Air Quality Index (AQI) overlay directly onto the map… Continue Reading
How Fashion Giants Recast Plastic as Good for the Planet
The New York Times: “An influential system overseen by retailers and clothing makers ranks petroleum-based synthetics like “vegan leather” as more environmentally sound than natural fibers. It’s soft. It’s vegan. It looks just like leather. It’s also made from fossil fuels. An explosion in the use of inexpensive, petroleum-based materials has transformed the fashion industry,… Continue Reading
Google Earth Engine is taking its closest look yet at how landscapes are changing
Popular Science, June 9, 2022: “Today, Google Earth is launching a project called Dynamic World, a new endeavor that creates maps that come paired with a novel deep learning AI model. It’s able to classify land cover by type (water, urban, forest, crops) at a resolution of 10 meters, or 32 feet. That means each… Continue Reading
The State of the World’s Forests 2022
FAO. 2022. The State of the World’s Forests 2022. Forest pathways for green recovery and building inclusive, resilient and sustainable economies. Rome, FAO. “There will be no healthy economy on an unhealthy planet. Environmental deterioration is contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss and the emergence of new diseases. Forests and trees can play crucial roles… Continue Reading
Secretary Haaland Issues Order to Phase Out Single-Use Plastics, Protect Public Lands and Waters
“On World Ocean Day today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued Secretary’s Order 3407, which aims to reduce the procurement, sale and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging with a goal of phasing out single-use plastic products on Department-managed lands by 2032. The Order is part of the implementation of President Biden’s Executive… Continue Reading
