California's native wildflowers are being smothered by layers of dead, invasive grasses. A new study shows that simply raking these layers can boost biodiversity and reduce fire danger.
Breaking Waves: Ocean News
12/19/2024 - 12:37
French president promises food, water and to rebuild as emergency services search desperately for survivors
Distraught and angry inhabitants of Mayotte shouted out their grievances to the French president, Emmanuel Macron, as he visited the island, five days after it was devastated by a cyclone.
High on their list was the lack of water and food, and the fear of looting.
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12/19/2024 - 09:00
Exclusive: While risk of H5N1 pandemic in humans is low, ‘it’s really important to think about vulnerable populations’, Melbourne researcher says
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Most pregnant women who contract bird flu will die, according to an Australian review of infections that found most unborn babies with the virus also die.
Caused by influenza A viruses, a severe strain of bird flu known as highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) is spreading globally.
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12/19/2024 - 08:00
McNeese State University in Louisiana building a liquefied natural gas center, prompting fears of ‘corporate capture’
One of Louisiana’s top public universities has prompted concerns about “corporate capture” over its expanding relationship with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, despite environmental warnings about pollution and prolonging fossil fuel use.
As the US’s LNG boom gained momentum in south-west Louisiana, McNeese State University courted the industry to help launch a new LNG Center of Excellence currently under construction, hired a director doubling as an LNG industry lobbyist, and approached federal regulators to co-locate their own research center at the university, according to emails obtained via public records requests by DeSmog and the Guardian.
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12/19/2024 - 07:00
Call for additional precautions as captive species including lions, tigers and cheetahs are killed by virus
Dozens of rare animals including tigers, lions and cheetahs are dying as bird flu infiltrates zoos, with potentially “grave implications” for endangered species, researchers have warned.
As a growing number of zoos report animal deaths, scientists are concerned that infected wild birds landing in enclosures could be spreading it among captive animals. In the US, a cheetah, mountain lion, Indian goose and kookaburra were among the animals that died in Wildlife World Zoo near Phoenix, according to local media reports last week. San Francisco Zoo temporarily closed its aviaries after a wild red-shouldered hawk was found dead on its grounds, and later tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAIV). A rare red-breasted goose died at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, causing aviaries to close and penguin feeding for visitors to be suspended in November. These cases follow the deaths of 47 tigers, three lions, and a panther in zoos across south Vietnam over the summer.
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12/19/2024 - 06:19
Outage comes as customers hear they will face the highest bill increases in England and Wales
Tens of thousands of homes in Hampshire are without water because of a technical fault at a Southern Water supply works.
About 58,000 homes in Southampton, Romsey, Eastleigh, Totton and parts of the New Forest have outages after a problem at the Testwood water supply works prevented water from leaving the site.
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12/19/2024 - 06:00
Hastened reviews of compounds as industry ramps up could increase pollution from likely toxic chemicals
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is quietly fast-tracking approval of new PFAS “forever chemicals” for use by the semiconductor industry at the same time the agency is publicly touting increased scrutiny of new PFAS and other chemicals.
As US semiconductor production ramps up, the hastened reviews could sharply increase pollution containing little-studied PFAS that are likely toxic, accumulative in the environment and contribute to climate change.
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12/19/2024 - 05:00
President formally files new plans under Paris agreement and hails ‘boldest climate agenda in American history’
Joe Biden has announced tougher targets on the US’s carbon dioxide emissions for the next decade, in a defiant final gesture intended as a “capstone” on his legacy on the climate.
With just weeks to go before Donald Trump enters the White House, the Biden administration is formally filing new plans under the Paris agreement – the global climate treaty from which Trump has vowed to withdraw.
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12/19/2024 - 02:41
Regulator says it will claw back £131m in ‘unjustified’ payments as it announces companies can increase bills by 36% by 2030
Water bills in England and Wales to rise by 36%
Comment: It’s time for water companies to stop bleating
Thames Water will have to pay an £18.2m penalty after the water industry regulator confirmed the troubled utilities company had breached dividend rules.
The Guardian revealed on Wednesday that Thames would be penalised over two dividend payments, made in 2023 and 2024, and that it would allow the water company to increase bills by just over a third. The industry watchdog Ofwat confirmed the penalty and bills rise on Thursday.
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12/19/2024 - 02:38
Tanya Plibersek says projects in NSW and Queensland produce coal for making essential steel as critics say move ‘opposite of climate action’
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The Albanese government has approved the expansion of four coalmines that climate campaigners estimate will release more than 850m tonnes of CO2 over their lifetime – equivalent to almost double Australia’s annual emissions.
The four mines will target mostly coal to be used for steelmaking with some thermal coal for burning in power stations.
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