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Four new community solar projects are moving forward in Delaware, supporting efforts to expand clean energy, strengthen the electric grid and improve energy affordability for Delaware households. The solar projects in Seaford, Townsend and Clayton were accepted into Delaware’s JobsFirst Permitting Accelerator Program and are expected to generate more than 16 MW of solar energy… The post Delaware advances 16 MW of community solar projects appeared first on Solar Power World.
Emma Brockes | Plus, your toilet flush can give you norovirus, AI doom-mongering and a drag Ann DroidIn a news cycle to make everyone older than gen Z feel ancient, we start the week anticipating the 25th anniversary of 9/11 at the end. Social media floods with poignant interviews and images from lower Manhattan that day, triggering memories for the rest of us of where, who and how young we were. Ridiculously, I was having my eyebrows done in Hendon, north London, and came out to find a white van pulled over at a crazy angle to the curb, doors flung open, radio cranked up, and people stopped in the street to listen. I remember looking over the city and wondering if I’d seen jets, or explosions. Continue reading...
Party leader, who will contest Starmer’s former seat of Holborn and St Pancras, says gas drilling has come up on doorstepUK politics live – latest updatesZack Polanski has said a vote for him in the upcoming Holborn and St Pancras byelection is a vote against the government’s reported plans to greenlight a North Sea gasfield.The leader of the Green party in England and Wales, who was selected on Friday to contest the London seat, also said he was considering building a stockpile for the extreme weather predicted with the arrival of the biggest El Niño in 1,000 years, a meteorological phenomenon that supercharges floods and droughts. Continue reading...
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The Associated Press and, by extension, Fortune Magazine by republishing their piece, seem more interested in promoting the catastrophe narrative of climate change in any way they can, regardless of nuances. The climate comments in the article were completely unnecessary to tell the story of increased human-bear encounters, and only serve to advance the outlets’ political climate slant. The post AP and Fortune Magazine Ignore Population Trends to Blame Climate Change for Bear Encounters appeared first on Watts Up With That?.
Japan embarked on a groundbreaking initiative ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, gathering millions of used electronics and phones. This effort resulted in the extraction of significant gold, silver, and bronze from these devices by recyclers. The recovered metals were then transformed into the medals awarded at the events, reflecting a nationwide commitment to sustainability and innovative recycling practices involving local municipalities and businesses.
Nepal's leaders say the Himalayan country needs long-term international support to adapt to a rapidly changing mountain environment
ASTANA – The global energy transition is often discussed through the language of climate targets, emissions cuts and…
Ahead of The Independent’s Climate 100 List published later this month, we are celebrating some of the leading lights being honoured for their work tackling the climate crisis. David Callaway speaks to Stefania Di Bartolomeo, who seeks to help people invest sustainably using the power of AI
Climate philanthropy must do more than fill the gaps left by retreating governments and find new ways to support climate action in a fragmented global landscape The post With multilateralism in crisis, what’s next for climate philanthropy? appeared first on Climate Home News.
While investigating a creek for frogs, a scientist stumbled upon a remarkable ancient mastodon tooth, estimated to be over ten thousand years old. Paleontologists have confirmed its belonging to a long-extinct species of Pacific mastodon. The fossil will soon be analyzed at Stanford University to determine its precise age, establishing a fascinating connection between today's conservation initiatives and the ancient ecosystems of California.
In an innovative approach, conservation teams are utilizing recycled Christmas trees to rejuvenate the coastal wetlands of Niagara River. This dynamic initiative, launched in 2016, spans over 1.64 kilometers, serving to calm wave action and lower erosion rates. By restoring vital aquatic habitats, the project aims to enhance the ecosystem, leading to a remarkable increase in both fish and shorebird populations alongside improved water quality.
A Georgia solar-panel factory — and the jobs it provides — is making renewable energy fans out of state Republicans.
The European Commission has proposed adjustments to the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS).
In a remarkable effort, the Meyer family has preserved thousands of acres in the Worcester Range of Vermont, committing to a sustainable approach to timber management. This conservation initiative plays a vital role in protecting significant wildlife corridors and northern hardwood ecosystems, with part of the funding sourced from the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Legacy Program, paving the way for future generations to enjoy the area's natural beauty.
Winters with more frequent western disturbances tend to experience lower air pollution levels
“Diabolical” damage caused by flooding and general wear and tear means a gym’s boxing ring is unsafe for…
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Two weeks after the devastating flash floods, the number of dead and missing continues to rise. At Kathmandu’s public hospital, as well as outside the military base in Bidur, hundreds of photographs of missing people have been put up. Hundreds of families come forward, hoping for news – good or bad – of one or more loved ones. A race against time is underway: helping survivors, finding those still alive and identifying the victims. Rescue teams have been carrying out repeated helicopter flights, as air access is now the only way to reach remote areas cut off from the rest of the world. Civil society has also mobilised, particularly Nepal’s Generation Z. From Kathmandu to Betrawati, FRANCE 24's reporters Alban Alvarez and Fantine Dantzer accompanied a humanitarian convoy along one of the country’s most treacherous roads.
Today marks 25 years since the tragic 9/11 attacks in New York - and one building close to the site pays a unique tribute.
The UK will experience a greater risk of flooding and a wetter autumn than average, the Met Office has said.
At least 760,000 children in England and Wales missed lessons as more than 1,700 schools closed or finished earlyThe gruelling heatwave that hit the UK in June caused pupils to miss more than 15m hours of lesson time as soaring temperatures forced hundreds of schools to close, according to a study.The research found that at least 760,000 schoolchildren in England and Wales missed lessons owing to closures during the heatwave – one of five to batter the UK this summer – as temperatures inside some classrooms topped 40C, leaving pupils and staff suffering from heat stress, nausea and headaches. Continue reading...
Findings on decline of species such as Arctic tern and turtle dove published alongside flyways pledge at Kenya summitOne in nine migratory birds are threatened with extinction and 45% of migratory species such as cuckoos, turtle doves and Arctic terns are in decline, according to a global report.The migratory slender-billed curlew was officially declared extinct last year, the first global bird extinction in mainland Eurasia and Africa in recent centuries. Worldwide, seven migratory bird species have been confirmed or are suspected to have become extinct over the last 150 years. Continue reading...
In 2001, Hurricane Iris wreaked havoc on Belize's coral reefs, sparking an innovative restoration effort. Marine biologist Lisa Carne took the lead in replanting coral fragments, which were often neglected. Through her organization, Fragments of Hope, more than 100,000 corals have been successfully restored, resulting in a remarkable boost in coral coverage and marine biodiversity.
This week's dire warnings about unchecked artificial intelligence destroying humanity are refocusing attention on how models already are being used in dangerous bioscience experiments — and the lack of safeguards.Why it matters: There's growing alarm about emerging risks from advances like AI-designed viruses. But it's hard to erect guardrails when there's no ironclad way of even knowing how some AI systems will act.AI-enabled bioweapons are one of the worst-case scenarios researchers have raised for the kind of catastrophic danger that could wipe out humanity.Driving the news: On Thursday, Anthropic disclosed that it disrupted five potential instances of actors using its models in ways that could support the development of biological weapons.The disclosure came in a threat assessment detailing real-world case studies it uncovered and disrupted between December and August.In two of the cases, researchers were attempting to use Claude for assistance with gain-of-function research on dangerous viruses — research that enhances pathogens in a lab to better understand them and their potential for starting pandemics.The assessment notes that biological capabilities can be used for beneficial or harmful purposes, and that it's difficult to determine intent, especially when sophisticated actors can hide their motives."We take these cases as evidence not of the imminence of biological threats currently uplifted by Claude, but rather as evidence that significant dual-use research efforts are associated with state actors of concern who routinely evade our access controls," the report concludes."Safeguarding access to such content will necessarily require account and institutional signals to verify user legitimacy, and the rudimentary observability provided by data retention to identify misuse."Anthropic's most recent models have been launched with safeguards that restrict access to biological research queries that could be misused.The big picture: The assessment comes as AI is rapidly reshaping the life sciences and testing the patchwork of laws and government agencies that oversee high-risk research.Last month, a Stanford research team reported that it used a different kind of generative AI to design a synthetic virus — the first time the technology was harnessed to create an organism not seen in nature.A survey of more than 100 national security experts by the Institute for Security and Technology this month found 70% believe AI meaningfully increases the risk of developing a bioweapon, or will within two to three years.The experts said AI's chief threat is lowering the barrier to entry for less-skilled actors and states. The top concern is biology capable of unleashing pandemics, not chemical attacks.How it works: Current AI models have capabilities that might be misused, researchers from Fordham, Johns Hopkins, Oxford, Stanford, Columbia and NYU warned earlier this year.They can design new shells that enclose a virus' DNA, forecast how pathogens evolve, create nucleic acid sequences within DNA or RNA to evade safety screening software, and design viral genomes that have extra power when synthesized in laboratories, the researchers wrote.AI developers also are releasing new, more efficient biological models, often without conducting basic safety assessments — a practice that wouldn't be tolerated in other parts of life science research, they wrote. Threat level: The concern is that advanced AI can help bad actors easily execute complex processing tasks without conscience. Training the models on data that links a virus' genetics to real-world traits — like transmissibility or immune evasion — could lower the bar for creating dangerous pathogens, the experts warn.There are increasing calls for the government to review emerging AI models and set safety standards the way it evaluates other sensitive technologies, replacing the current system of voluntary consultations on risks between AI labs and federal officials.A focal point could be the Department of Commerce's Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), which was established last year to guide national standard-setting."We have this moment to step back and say what do we want this future of AI to look like and what's part of that ecosystem?" Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Axios. "The public needs to know most powerful models being developed in this country are being reviewed for high-end national security risks."Some experts say the future lies in systems that are created for specific research purposes, like Google DeepMind's AlphaFold, but don't behave like agents — the programs that can independently plan and execute tasks and avoid human monitoring."Once you add autonomy ... you create uncertainty that could be quite dangerous because you may not be able to anticipate what they do in the future," said Hamza Chaudhry, AI and national security lead at the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit that aims to reduce the risks of AI."The reason people are concerned about super smart systems is that their autonomy can increase as fast as their intelligence." What we're watching: Whether policymakers act on the latest warnings. A "kill switch" bill in Congress, for example, would give the government the authority to deactivate AI models that can cause catastrophic harm.Another measure would create a legal framework for AI developers to coordinate against emerging AI-specific security risks.
Dramatic footage shows the towering vortex churning across the sea off San Michele di Pagana, near Rapallo in northern Italy, on Thursday morning.
The post EPA to Loosen Methane Rules, Boosting Pollution From Oil and Gas Wells appeared first on ProPublica.
Customers seeking greens at one Berlin outlet are dealing with some very local supply chains indeedWalking into the Felix Thomas REWE supermarket in Lankwitz, Berlin, customers are immediately presented with a choice of greens: romaine, rocket, iceberg. But last month, a new option joined the selection: Lankwitz loose-leaf lettuce. A combination of head lettuce, romaine lettuce, Lollo Rosso, and dark green easy leaf lettuce, its yellow packaging makes it stand out in a row of green. But it’s not just the flashy packaging that makes it distinct. Unlike its neighbouring lettuces, which come from regional farms or all the way from Italy, these greens were grown just a few metres away – or rather, a few metres up. “Frisch Vom REWE Dach” or “Fresh from the REWE roof”, the bags read.Rooftop farms are nothing new: in cities such as Paris, Hong Kong, Copenhagen and New York, similar farms supply food to adjacent food retailers or even restaurants. This model has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation (and its associated costs), minimise the urban heat effect, make use of dead space and perhaps even improve the relationship between buyers and their food. Continue reading...
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explicare.deClimate Debrief | Vijay Jayaraj joins Angela Wheeler on Climate Debrief to examine the history of the modern environmental movement and the rise of today’s climate crisis narrative. Drawing on historical and environmental data, he challenges claims about worsening extreme weather, wildfires, droughts, and heat while highlighting improvements in human life expectancy, agriculture, and global greening. The post Beyond the Narrative and Following the Data with Vijay Jayaraj | Climate Debrief appeared first on Watts Up With That?.
A coach believed to be carrying tourists through one of Switzerland's most scenic Alpine valleys has crashed near the entrance to the country's national park.
A South China Sea drilling incident caused a significant methane leak in 2018. Ocean scientists observed an ecosystem rapidly responding to the underwater gas release. Bacteria and worms quickly formed a methane-munching 'worm bed' within two years. This new biofilter degraded methane effectively, reducing plume height significantly. However, this rapid ecosystem development caused a notable decrease in original microbial diversity.
Nepal wants up to $5bn to rebuild after devastating floods – a figure that is 200 times what’s on offer. Stuti Mishra explains where that leaves the Himalayan nation
Greens leader Larissa Waters said the party was unified and ready to fight on broader climate policy, despite three senators crossing the floor on a key vote.
Claire Ratinon | I’ll miss Monty Don, and I know I’m not alone in finding the show a balm for the soul. But this is the perfect opportunity for a shake-upIt’s finally happened. National treasure Monty Don is hanging up his TV garden shears and saying goodbye to Gardeners’ World after more than 20 years as the BBC show’s lead presenter. I’ve been a grower for more than a decade myself, and Monty has been a steady and wise omnipresence throughout my journey – especially as he’s been on the right side of contemporary gardening debates over the environment and wildlife, and the use of chemicals and peat in horticulture.That is where the overlap between our worlds of growing end, though. My modest patch of a few veg beds at the end of a small, chaotic and mostly gravelled garden is a universe away from the two-acre dreamscape that is Longmeadow, Don’s garden at his home in Herefordshire. I suspect I’m one of millions who’ve looked longingly at Monty’s remarkable space and the impressive infrastructure (not to mention hired hands!) that make it so special, and cursed the fact that such an ideal garden will never be within reach of us ordinary folk. That’s not to say that it hasn’t been a glorious setting for Monty to share his abundance of plant wisdom from, but now that the search for his replacement is presumably on, perhaps this is an opportunity for a little reimagining.Claire Ratinon is an organic food grower and writer Continue reading...
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
In an effort to rejuvenate the parched landscape of Israel's Ramon Crater, wild donkeys were brought back into the ecosystem. These resilient animals played a crucial role by creating waterholes, which became essential for desert wildlife. Additionally, their droppings helped spread acacia seeds, promoting the growth of trees. Their natural movements resulted in water-retaining depressions, significantly transforming the area's ecology into a thriving environment that has caught global attention.
From an energy-efficient bungalow in the South Downs to an historic chapel in Northumberland Continue reading...
Waters told this masthead that the party was unified and ready to fight on broader climate policy, despite three senators crossing the floor on a key vote.