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Category Archives: Environmental Law

These States Are Basically Begging You to Get a Heat Pump

Wired [read free]: “You need a heat pump, ASAP. Now nine states are teaming up to accelerate the adoption of this climate superhero. Nine states have signed a memorandum of understanding that says that heat pumps should make up at least 65 percent of residential heating, air conditioning, and water-heating shipments by 2030. (“Shipments” here… Continue Reading

The People’s Choice Award – Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023

Here are the top five images voted for by the public in this year’s People’s Choice Award. “More than 50,000 images were entered into Wildlife Photographer of the Year last year, but our panel of judges can only award 100 finalists. A further 25 memorable images from this year’s entries have been shortlisted by the… Continue Reading

Secondhand EVs Are Starting to Look Like a Bargain

Bloomberg – The energy transition will falter unless consumers feel more comfortable about buying a used battery-powered vehicle. “You need at least £79,000 ($99,000) to buy a new electric Porsche Taycan in the UK; higher-specification versions of these sporty sedans cost tens of thousands more. However, three-year old Taycans are now available for less than… Continue Reading

Study ‘Category 5’ was considered the worst hurricane. There’s something scarier

USA Today: “As fearsome as Category 5 hurricanes can be for people living in harm’s way, a new study reports global warming is supercharging some of the most intense cyclones with winds high enough to merit a hypothetical Category 6.  The world’s most intense hurricanes are growing even more intense, fueled by rising temperatures in… Continue Reading

Every Awful Thing Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term

Rolling Stone: “Donald Trump reportedly did not expect to win the presidency in 2016, which isn’t surprising considering how ill-prepared he and his team were to take control of the country. He appointed established conservatives to key positions before learning some had personal principles that extended beyond indulging the president’s ego. Trump wreaked havoc on… Continue Reading

EM-DAT – The international disaster database

“Inventorying hazards & disasters worldwide since 1988. EM-DAT contains data on the occurrence and impacts of over 26,000 mass disasters worldwide from 1900 to the present day. The database is compiled from various sources, including UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, reinsurance companies, research institutes, and press agencies. The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters… Continue Reading

tree fm

Listen to a random forest – Tune Into Forests From Around The World. Escape, Relax & Preserve. “People around the world recorded the sounds of their forests, so you can escape into nature, and unwind wherever you are. Take a breath and soak in the forest sounds as they breathe with life and beauty! And… Continue Reading

Plastic bag bans work

EnvironmentAmerica.org: “Well-designed single-use plastic bag bans have successfully reduced plastic bag use and associated litter and pollution. Use the Single-use Plastic Bag Ban Waste Reduction Calculator to estimate the impact where you live. Single-use plastic bags pollute communities with litter, degrade in the environment and harm marine life. The good news is that states and… Continue Reading

PFAS Maryland Fish Consumption Advisory Map

“Brent Walls, Upper Potomac Riverkeeper, has become an expert  on the growing issue of PFAS – toxic “legacy” chemicals – which we are finding in more and more places. He has created a map which identifies monitoring locations where Maryland’s Department of the Environment (MDE) collected fish tissue samples from various species, oyster sampling and… Continue Reading

Buried But Not Forgotten: Coal Ash in the Chesapeake

Waterkeepers Chesapeake – “The Chesapeake Bay region has a problem it thought it could bury and forget. But the solution for coal ash is not so simple. Coal ash, also referred to as coal combustion residuals or CCRs, is produced primarily from the burning of coal in coal-fired power plants. Coal ash contains hazardous pollutants… Continue Reading