Live Science: “The American bumblebee (Bombus pensylvanicus) population has plummeted by 89% over the past 20 years, and an “endangered species” listing could be imminent, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency will conduct a one-year review, after which the species could become protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which provides a legal framework… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Environmental Law
U.S. Climate Change Policy
CRS Report – U.S. Climate Change Policy. October 28, 2021: “The greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere trap radiant energy, warming earth’s surface and oceans. Scientific assessments conclude that GHGs very likely have been the main driver of warming of the earth’s lower atmosphere since 1979. The most recent global assessment projected that surface temperature… Continue Reading
How to donate or recycle your unwanted clothes, electronics and more
Washington Post: “As the weather turns cooler and many of us spend more time inside, it’s the perfect time to focus on home projects, including organizing and decluttering. But once you go through your stuff, what do you do with the unwanted or unneeded items? These stories offer advice on how to donate or recycle… Continue Reading
Report – Some fast-food items contain plastics linked to serious health problems
Washington Post – “A new study out Tuesday reports that far too often, small amounts of industrial chemicals called phthalates (pronounced THA-lates), which are used to make plastics soft, have been found in samples of food from popular outlets including McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Chipotle [Burger King, Domino’s, and Taco Bell]. George Washington University researcher… Continue Reading
New Database Reveals Fines for Environmental and Safety Infringements Lag Far Behind Those for Competition and Financial Offenses
Phil Mattera, Corporate Research Project: “Today the Corporate Research Project of Good Jobs First is launching Violation Tracker UK, a free public database that collects over 63,000 cases brought by more than 40 regulatory agencies in the United Kingdom– ranging from the Financial Conduct Authority to the Serious Fraud Office and the Environment Agency. It… Continue Reading
Winners of the 2021 Close-Up Photographer of the Year Competition
Kottke.org: “Contestants from 55 countries entered over 9000 photos in the Close-Up Photographer of the Year competition for 2021 and now the winners have been announced. I’ve included a few of my favorites above (from top to bottom): Pål Hermansen, Johan De Ridder, Håkan Kvarnstrom, and Bruno Militelli. Over 9,000 pictures from 55 countries were… Continue Reading
This climate does not exist
“ThisClimateDoesNotExist.com is an AI-driven experience based on empathy, allowing users to imagine and vizualize the environmental impacts of the current climate crisis, one address at a time. Climate change does not impact everyone equally. For the planet to tackle the climate crisis, we all need to act as though our homes were directly affected. We… Continue Reading
This Map Lets You Plug in Your Address to See How It’s Changed Over the Past 750 Million Years
Smithsonian Magazine – “Some 240 million years ago, the patch of land that would one day become the National Mall was part of an enormous supercontinent known as Pangea. Encompassing nearly all of Earth’s extant land mass, Pangea bore little resemblance to our contemporary planet. Thanks to a recently released interactive map, however, interested parties… Continue Reading
Which is more expensive: charging an electric vehicle or fueling a car with gas?
USA Today – “Last year, Patrick Anderson went electric: He got a Porsche Taycan EV in dark blue. Anderson, who is CEO of East Lansing-based economic consulting firm Anderson Economic Group, loves the zippy acceleration and “exciting” features the car offers. He also gets satisfaction in knowing that driving an EV benefits the environment, he said. But Anderson’s joy comes with a dark side. “They… Continue Reading
UK Gov – Net Zero: principles for successful behaviour change initiatives
Net Zero: principles for successful behaviour change initiatives. Key principles from past government-led behaviour change and public engagement initiatives, BEIS Research Paper Number 2021/063 October 2021. “The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) was commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to undertake a rapid review and synthesis of successful (and to a… Continue Reading
Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis October 2021
“Climate change is reshaping the geostrategic, operational, and tactical environments with significant implications for U.S. national security and defense. Increasing temperatures; changing precipitation patterns; and more frequent, intense, and unpredictable extreme weather conditions caused by climate change are exacerbating existing risks and creating new security challenges for U.S. interests. The risks of climate change to… Continue Reading
Financial Stability Oversight Council Identifies Climate Change as an Emerging and Increasing Threat to Financial Stability
Treasury Press Release: “The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) has released a new report in response to President Biden’s Executive Order 14030, Climate-related Financial Risk. For the first time, FSOC has identified climate change as an emerging and increasing threat to U.S. financial stability. The report and accompanying recommendations demonstrate FSOC’s commitment to building on… Continue Reading
