Center for Data Innovation: “Researchers at Boston University have created a dataset tracking heat metrics across the contiguous United States from 2000 to 2020. The dataset contains daily estimates of each counties’ minimum and maximum temperatures as well as dew-point temperatures, heat indexes, and wet-bulb globe temperatures, which are metrics that use data on factors… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Environmental Law
The scope and extent of literature that maps threats to species globally: a systematic map
Ridley, F.A., Hickinbotham, E.J., Suggitt, A.J. et al. The scope and extent of literature that maps threats to species globally: a systematic map. Environ Evid 11, 26 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-022-00279-7: “Human activities are driving accelerating rates of species extinctions that continue to threaten nature’s contribution to people. Yet, the full scope of where and how human… Continue Reading
Beloved monarch butterflies now listed as endangered
AP: “The monarch butterfly fluttered a step closer to extinction Thursday [July 21, 2022], as scientists put the iconic orange-and-black insect on the endangered list because of its fast dwindling numbers. “It’s just a devastating decline,” said Stuart Pimm, an ecologist at Duke University who was not involved in the new listing. “This is one… Continue Reading
Corporate greenwashing is getting harder to spot—here’s how to do it
Quartz: “We looked at different ways in which businesses are using greenwashing, from fairly simple imaging tactics that have been around for years, to more novel and sophisticated manipulation of investment products and corporate data. The following is a taxonomy of greenwashing, with tips on how to spot it—and how, with a little bit of… Continue Reading
The World Is Burning Once Again
The Atlantic – Climate change predictions for 2050 arrived way earlier – in 2022: “In September 2020, the United Kingdom’s Meteorological Office published a hypothetical weather forecast for a mid-July day in the year 2050. Forty degrees Celsius in London. (That’s 104 degrees Fahrenheit.) Thirty-eight in Hull (100 degrees F). Thirty-nine in Birmingham (102 degrees… Continue Reading
Amazon will recycle small electronics for free
The Verge: “If you have a flip phone that you haven’t used in over a decade, or maybe even a broken tablet, Amazon will pay for a shipping label that you can use to send it in to get recycled. Apparently, this recycling program has been a thing for a while now, but several of… Continue Reading
CDC finds toxic weedkiller in 87 percent of children tested
Environmental Working Group: “About 87 percent of 650 children tested had detectable levels of the ubiquitous and toxic herbicide glyphosate in their urine, according to a new analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food is the main route of exposure to glyphosate for the children, aged 18 and under, according to CDC… Continue Reading
Light pollution is disrupting the seasonal rhythms of plants and trees, lengthening pollen season in US cities
Via LLRX – Light pollution is disrupting the seasonal rhythms of plants and trees, lengthening pollen season in US cities – City lights that blaze all night are profoundly disrupting urban plants’ phenology – shifting when their buds open in the spring and when their leaves change colors and drop in the fall. New research Yuyu… Continue Reading
How hot is too hot for the human body?
The Conversation – Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize: “Heat waves are becoming supercharged as the climate changes – lasting longer, becoming more frequent and getting just plain hotter. One question a lot of people are asking is: “When will it get too hot for normal daily activity… Continue Reading
Market-Based Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Legislation: 108th Through 117th Congresses
CRS Report – Market-Based Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Legislation: 108th Through 117th Congresses, Updated July 18, 2022: “Congressional interest in market-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emission control legislation has fluctuated over the past 20years. Market-based approaches that would address GHG emissions typically involve either a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax or emissions fee program. Both approaches… Continue Reading
Searchable database of feathers
Provided in multiple languages, Featherbase has a search engine and two topical lists to browse data – an alphabetical collection and a systemic order collection. Full color photos, Latin, German and English names are included as well as multiple photos of each bird, respective feathers, a description of each bird, distribution of location/cities where the… Continue Reading
The Western Drought Is Getting Weird Share
Gizmodo: “The western and southwestern U.S. is wilting under the biggest drought in 1,200 years — a megadrought. As of writing this, most of the country is experiencing drier-than-normal conditions, but things remain particularly severe from Texas to Washington state. Scientists have identified climate change as a significant contributing factor to the extent and severity… Continue Reading
