Vox: “As the climate crisis accelerates, it’s worth asking what to expect if we aggressively cut greenhouse gas emissions now, and what would happen if we do nothing. As part of our Weather 2050 project, we used the latter scenario to look at what could happen to temperature and precipitation in US cities by the… Continue Reading
Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002
Category Archives: Environmental Law
Global plastic waste set to almost triple by 2060, says OECD
“The use of plastics is surging and could nearly triple by 2060, Axios’ Erin Doherty reports. The math for 2060, via a new OECD report out today: The buildup of plastics in bodies of water could triple. Plastic leakage to the environment could double. Almost two-thirds of plastic waste will be from short-lived items, including… Continue Reading
Swimmable Potomac Report 2022
“Our Swimmable Potomac Report summarizing the findings of the Community Science Water Quality Monitoring program has just been published. The good news? The river is frequently safe for swimming, which is more scientific support for lifting the swim ban in DC. Help us tell Mayor Bowser it’s time! We want everyone to be able to… Continue Reading
There’s an Army of Thieves Coming for Your Catalytic Converter
Popular Mechanics – One of the largest crime-waves in recent years could cost you thousands: “…According to the Universal Technical Institute, there are typically 3 to 7 grams of platinum, 2 to 7 grams of palladium, and 1 to 2 grams of rhodium in the standard converter. PGMs are rare. They form inside intrusive igneous complexes,… Continue Reading
Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
The Atlantic: “…The first problem is that there are thousands of different plastics, each with its own composition and characteristics. They all include different chemical additives and colorants that cannot be recycled together, making it impossible to sort the trillions of pieces of plastics into separate types for processing. For example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET#1) bottles… Continue Reading
Subak launches ‘Google of climate data’ portal
British Business Focus: “Global tech accelerator Subak today launches the Data Catalogue – a curated online portal connecting shared climate datasets around the world to accelerate climate impact. An extension of Subak’s core ethos of sharing data to accelerate climate impact, the Data Catalogue has been built to make climate data reliable and accessible for academics, analysts, policymakers and… Continue Reading
Wildfire Statistics
CRS In Focus – Wildfires are unplanned fires, including lightning-caused fires, unauthorized human-caused fires, and escaped prescribed fire projects. States are responsible for responding to wildfires that begin on non federal (state, local, and private) lands, except for lands protected by federal agencies under cooperative agreements. The federal government is responsible for responding to wildfires… Continue Reading
2022 Environmental Performance Index
Wolf, M. J., Emerson, J. W., Esty, D. C., de Sherbinin, A., Wendling, Z. A., et al. (2022). 2022 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. epi.yale.edu “The 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) provides a data-driven summary of the state of sustainability around the world. Using 40 performance indicators… Continue Reading
What can and can’t be recycled
BBC News – “There are some common rules – and pervasive myths. Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about it. Have you ever wondered if you need to wash your plastic trays before putting them into the recycling? Or should you put them in a plastic bag before throwing them into the recycling bin?… Continue Reading
Monumental trees
Trees around us can be remarkable because of a number of reasons: some can be very large or tall, others are old or simply very beautiful. “On this site thousands of photos, measurements, and location details of often unknown monumental trees can be found of many species, like giant sequoia, oak trees, sweet chestnut trees,… Continue Reading
The Conservation Status of Trillium in North America
Meredith, Clayton & Frances, Anne & Highland, Amy & Oliver, Leah & Floden, Aaron & Gaddy, L L & Knapp, Wesley & Leaman, Danna & Leopold, Susan & Littlefield, Tara & Raguso, Robert & Schilling, Edward & Schotz, Alfred & Walker, Anna & Wayman, Kjirsten. (2022). The Conservation Status of Trillium in North America. “This… Continue Reading
United States of America traffic
“Covering 404 cities across 58 countries on 6 continents, our Traffic Index ranks urban congestion worldwide and provides free access to city-by-city information. This year, we include emissions data for 4 European cities. You, along with drivers, city planners, carmakers and policy makers, can use the index to help tackle traffic-related challenges. Now in its… Continue Reading
