Environment
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The ice caps are melting. Is geoengineering the solution?
A report has examined the potential ways we can refreeze the ice. But it's going to require enormous effort.
Google's new sustainability APIs can estimate solar, pollutant and pollen production
Google will officially unveil a trio of new sustainability APIs for business at the Cloud Next conference tomorrow, learn more about them today.
Scientists strengthen concrete by 30 percent with used coffee grounds
Researchers in Australia have found a new use for old coffee grounds: concrete doping!
July 3rd was the hottest day in recorded history
July 3rd, 2023 saw average global temperatures edge past 17-degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit) for the first time since satellite monitoring of global temperatures began in 1979.
EPA creates youth council to advise the agency on climate change policy
The EPA is creating its first National Environmental Youth Advisory Council to help tackle climate change.
The US is now the second-largest EV market behind China
The US has leapt ahead to become the second-largest EV market in the world.
How to understand Air Quality Index alerts for NYC and the rest of the east coast
Air quality levels in parts of Canada and the US have nosedived in recent days as winds have carried smoke from wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia across the continent. Here's how to understand the EPA's Air Quality Index and what to do when pollution levels become a health concern.
Scientists discover microbes that can digest plastics at cool temperatures
In a potentially encouraging sign for reducing environmental waste, researchers have discovered microbes from the Alps and the Arctic that can break down plastic without requiring high temperatures. Although this is only a preliminary finding, a more efficient and effective breakdown of industrial plastic waste in landfills would give scientists a new tool for trying to reduce its ecological damage.
SpaceX’s Starship launch caused a fire in a Texas state park
After a string of delays and a scrubbed launch attempt, SpaceX finally conducted the first test flight of its Starship spacecraft earlier this month. Federal agencies say the launch led to a 3.5-acre fire on state park land.
Apple's batteries will use 100 percent recycled cobalt by 2025
Apple has pledged to use 100 percent recycled cobalt in device batteries by 2025.
Philips' new 'Ultra Efficient' LED bulbs use 40 percent less energy
Philips' new Ultra Efficient LED bulbs use 40 percent less power than regular models — and can last roughly 50 years.
Microsoft ground up old CDs to make its new Xbox controller
Microsoft announced a new sustainable Xbox controller today. Arriving as an Earth Day promotion, the Xbox Remix Special Edition wireless controller uses recycled materials from old gamepads, auto headlight covers and reclaimed CDs (among other sources) to give each accessory a unique look. Although it offers no special functionality, it allows gamers to vote with their wallets for environmentally friendly manufacturing.
Renewable power generation overtook coal in the US last year
Renewable power generation was greater than coal in the US last year, but it wasn't the largest electricity source.
Proposed EPA drinking water standard would restrict cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’
For the first time, the US government plans to regulate the presence of “forever chemicals” in drinking water.
NASA satellite will use radar to map Earth's crust in extreme detail
NASA and India's space agency are teaming up to launch a satellite that uses radar to study even the tiniest details of Earth's crust.
Hitting the Books: High school students have spent a decade fighting Baltimore's toxic legacy
In Fighting to Breathe: Race, Toxicity, and the Rise of Youth Activism in Baltimore, Dr. Nicole Fabricant of Towson University, chronicles the participatory action research of local students between 2011 and 2021, organizing and mobilizing their communities to fight back against a century of environmental injustice.
Researchers created a sticky drone to collect environmental DNA from forest canopies
Swiss researchers trialed a method that uses a drone with an attached cage to collect environmental DNA from high treetops.
NYC wants all Uber and Lyft cars to be electric by 2030
New York City wants Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing companies to go all-electric by 2030.
Xbox test feature shuts down your console during scheduled hours to save energy
A test update for Xbox consoles can shut down the system during idle hours to save energy.
Goodyear shows off 90 percent sustainable tires and traction-tracking treads at CES 2023
Last CES, Goodyear dazzled the assembled crowds with a protype tire that derived some 70 percent of its recipe from sustainable sources. This CES, Goodyear is back with an impressive iterative improvement — 90 percent sustainable materials will go into this one!