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Climate change is one of the greatest public health threats humanity has ever faced. Global warming is part of this threat. Increasing temperatures are linked to deteriorating health, especially in vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children. Scientists have previously shown that heat exposure increases the risk of preterm birth and stillbirth. New research continues to uncover worrying links to poor outcomes for mothers and their babies. Congenital abnormalities, hypertension in pregnancy and low birth weight are some of the dangers of increasing heat. One area that has not received as much attention is the long-...... Read Full article on HadNews

Much money and time has been spent recently persuading people not to be so reliant on cars. And there are certainly good reasons – for our health and the environment – to move about more on foot, by bike or on trains. Yet cars are still an essential form of transport across the world. In many countries, including the UK, outside of the few metropolitan areas with decent public transport, people depend on them. But car owners face an increasingly difficult choice. For many, electric vehicles are still too expensive and considered too risky in terms of driving range, battery costs and charging infrastructure. Private customers are ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Electric power generation in the U.S. is shifting rapidly away from fossil fuels toward cleaner and lower-carbon sources. State clean energy targets and dramatic declines in the cost of renewable electricity are the most important reasons. But fossil fuel plants still generate 60% of the U.S. electricity supply, producing air, water and land pollutants and greenhouse gases in the process. To reduce these impacts, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a suite of rules on April 25, 2024. They focus mainly on coal plants, the nation’s most-polluting electricity source. As an environmental lawyer who has been in practice since th...... Read Full article on HadNews

Global biodiversity is declining, and human activities are mainly to blame. Indeed, 96 per cent of the world’s total remaining mammalian biomass — the combined weight, or mass, of mammal organic life — consists of either humans or our domesticated animals. Every day across the world, conservation organizations, community members, conservation scientists and law enforcement authorities work tirelessly to counter this biodiversity decline. These actions can take the form of community-based patrols or enforcing regulations, such as in the case of preventing illegal harvest or patrolling efforts to deter or arrest poachers. At the more ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the recent boom in EV purchases, they’re still a tiny minority of the cars on the road. We would get more immediate benefit by focusing on electrifying buses, which are a surprisingly large source of air pollution, and finding ways to cut rapidly growing emissions from diesel trucks. While the electricity sector still produces the largest share of emissions in Australia (32.3%), emissions are falling. But emissions from transport (21.1%) are already the third...... Read Full article on HadNews

Imagine a future with nearly silent air taxis flying above traffic jams and navigating between skyscrapers and suburban droneports. Transportation arrives at the touch of your smartphone and with minimal environmental impact. This isn’t just science fiction. United Airlines has plans for these futuristic electric air taxis in Chicago and New York. The U.S. military is already experimenting with them. And one company has a contract to launch an air taxi service in Dubai as early as 2025. Another company hopes to defy expectations and fly participants at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Backed by billions of dollars in venture capital and estab...... Read Full article on HadNews

A consortium of U.S. federal agencies has pooled their funds and wide array of expertise to reinvent the emergency vehicle. The hybrid electric box truck they’ve come up with is carbon neutral. And in the aftermath of a natural disaster like a tornado or wildfire, the vehicle, called H2Rescue, can supply electric power and potable water to survivors while acting as a temperature-controlled command center for rescue personnel.The agencies that funded and developed it from an idea on paper to a functional Class 7 emergency vehicle prototype say they are pleased with the outcome of the project, which is now being used for further research and ...... Read Full article on HadNews

In the wake of North America’s recent solar eclipse, another historic natural event is on the horizon. From late April through June 2024, the largest brood of 13-year cicadas, known as Brood XIX, will co-emerge with a midwestern brood of 17-year cicadas, Brood XIII. This event will affect 17 states, from Maryland west to Iowa and south into Arkansas, Alabama and northern Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and Maryland. A co-emergence like this of two specific broods with different life cycles happens only once every 221 years. The last time these two groups emerged together was in 1803, when Thomas Jefferson was president. For about f...... Read Full article on HadNews

Earth Day is April 22, 2024, and climate activists around the world are planning rallies and other events to draw attention to the growing threats posed by climate change. Many of these demonstrations will focus on what humanity can do to stop fueling the damage. But while activists are amplifying the dire findings from scientists, you’ll likely see fossil fuel supporters attacking them on social media and TV. It’s easy to get caught up in the myths about climate activism, particularly in today’s polarized political environment. So, let’s take a moment to explore the truth about three of the big myths being told about climate activis...... Read Full article on HadNews

For the second year in a row, over 100 hammerheads have gathered at one of Australia’s busiest beaches, Burleigh Beach in the Gold Coast. Why aren’t we alarmed? Because these are small scalloped hammerheads, not the larger great hammerhead. Even this species is feared far more than it deserves. Plus, these scalloped hammerheads are juveniles between 40 cm and 1 metre. Scalloped hammerheads prefer tropical and temperate oceans. But as the oceans heat up, they’re moving further south – just as we’re seeing in Western Australia, where these timid sharks are now gathering off Perth. These remarkable sharks are one of the few social ...... Read Full article on HadNews

Meet Mini-Grids — the Clean Energy Solution Bringing Power to Millions | Tombo Banda | TED In the TED Talk titled "Meet Mini-Grids — the Clean Energy Solution Bringing Power to Millions," Tombo Banda shares a personal story about the impact of electricity coming to his mother's childhood village in Zomba, Malawi. He reflects on the transformative effect it had on his family and community, from enabling longer business hours and job opportunities to providing more time for education and personal pursuits. Banda emphasizes the importance of expanding access to electricity, especially in rural areas where the traditional grid may not reach for...... Read Full article on HadNews

As Earth Month 2024 gets underway, climate activists around the world are planning rallies and other events over the coming weeks to draw attention to the growing threats posed by climate change. Many of these demonstrations will focus on what humanity can do to stop fueling the damage. But while activists are amplifying the dire findings from scientists, you’ll likely see fossil fuel supporters attacking them on social media and TV. It’s easy to get caught up in the myths about climate activism, particularly in today’s polarized political environment. So, let’s take a moment to explore the truth about three of the big myths being to...... Read Full article on HadNews

Panasonic’s new US$4 billion battery factory in De Soto, Kansas, is designed to be a model of sustainability – it’s an all-electric factory with no need for a smokestack. When finished, it will cover the size of 48 football fields, employ 4,000 people and produce enough advanced batteries to supply half a million electric cars per year. But there’s a catch, and it’s a big one. While the factory will run on wind and solar power much of the time, renewables supplied only 34% of the local utility Evergy’s electricity in 2023. In much of the U.S., fossil fuels still play a key role in meeting power demand. In fact, Evergy has asked permi...... Read Full article on HadNews

Turning garbage into gold sounds like alchemy, not science. But researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated an efficient, sustainable method to extract gold nuggets from common electronic waste.The process uses not one, but two waste products. Gold is coaxed from e-waste with a protein amyloid nanofibril (AF) aerogel derived from whey, a by-product of cheese making. The aerogel acts like a gold sponge, and the researchers were able to extract a nearly pure, 22-karat, gold nugget weighing almost half a gram from 20 discarded computer motherboards.“We knew protein sponges have a very high absorption capacity for gold, but our surprise was to f...... Read Full article on HadNews

The Unsung Heroes Fighting Malnutrition | Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju | TED In the TED talk "The Unsung Heroes Fighting Malnutrition," Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju sheds light on the often overlooked crisis of stunting in sub-Saharan Africa. She challenges common perceptions of malnutrition by emphasizing the importance of animal-sourced foods, such as meat and milk, in combating stunted growth and underdeveloped young brains. By sharing stories of pastoralists like Lady Kilena in Kenya and Tes Gabru in Ethiopia, Shruthi showcases the vital role these communities play in sustainable milk and meat production. She calls for a shift in government pol...... Read Full article on HadNews

Until now, you might have thought of electric vehicles as inner suburban toys. Teslas and Polestars are expensive, leaving them as playthings for wealthier Australians and out of reach for the mortgage belt. But that’s no longer the case. As residents in the outer suburbs reel from price rises seemingly everywhere, more and more are turning to electric vehicles (EVs) to slash their fuel bill. Last year, EV orders for outer suburban residents (43%) overtook inner suburban residents (39%) for the first time. Rural and regional residents accounted for 18% of orders. Avoiding petrol costs is one reason. But there are other good reason...... Read Full article on HadNews

Organizations in the food and agriculture sector have been looking to nature for inspiration to improve soil health, maintain water quality and foster local food security in the places where they operate. The evidence is clear that our current food and agriculture systems are severely impacting global greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater usage and deforestation. In response to these issues, activists, policymakers and corporate executives have been exploring new strategies for making our food systems more resilient and sustainable. Regenerative agricultural strategies, in particular, can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from food...... Read Full article on HadNews

In dozens of archaeological discoveries around the world, from the once-successful reservoirs and canals of Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the deserted Viking colonies of Greenland, new evidence paints pictures of civilizations struggling with unforeseen climate changes and the reality that their farming practices had become unsustainable. Among these discoveries are also success stories, where ancient farming practices helped civilizations survive the hard times. Zuni farmers in the southwestern United States made it through long stretches of extremely low rainfall between A.D. 1200 and 1400 by embracing small-scale, decentralized irriga...... Read Full article on HadNews

What’s the Point of Digital Fashion? | Karinna Grant | TED In a TED talk by Karinna Grant titled "What’s the Point of Digital Fashion?" the speaker delves into the emerging trend of digital fashion and its potential impact on the future of the industry. Grant explores the concept of dematerialization within fashion, where physical clothing is being replaced by digital counterparts. She notes that digital fashion, made of pixels rather than threads, is rapidly growing in popularity, with digital-first brands like the Fabricant, Tribute brand, and Auroboros leading the way. Grant discusses how luxury brands like Vuitton, Balenciaga, and Gucci...... Read Full article on HadNews

This article is part of our exclusive IEEE Journal Watch series in partnership with IEEE Xplore.As more electric vehicles hit the roads, the environmental impact of their battery production will also increase. This raises a major question: What type of EV battery will be the most environmentally friendly on a large scale?A study published 1 February in IEEE Access suggests that, after considering five different types of EV battery cells, lithium-sulphur cells will be the most environmentally friendly. The results also suggest that cells that don’t rely on precious and critical metals are fundamental for ensuring sustainable production.The m...... Read Full article on HadNews