Aerospace
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Aces Helicopter and Plane Flight Tests
The biofuel, made from used cooking oil, could help the aviation industry cut climate-threatening carbon emissions
"Sustainability"
Climate Change
Seeking Certainty on Climate Change: How Much Is Enough?
Two physicists object to a Scientific American essay calling for an end to one climate report. A science historian counters that the report has done its job
Water
‘Portable Oasis’ Extracts Water from Dry Desert Air
An ultraporous humidity sponge could provide 300 gallons of fresh water a day
Policy
Some Electronics Repairs Are Illegal: Federal Law Could Change That
The U.S. Copyright Office has helped, but fixing the right to repair is now up to Congress
Fossil Fuels
Global Emissions Rebound to Pre-COVID Levels
After months of social distancing and stay-at-home orders, economies are reopening, and carbon dioxide levels are rising
Archaeology
Dozens of Shipwreck Discoveries Anticipated in New Marine Sanctuary
A federal designation could help yield 3-D models that are useful for finding, studying and conserving vessels on the bed of Lake Michigan
Climate Change
Three Things We Must Do to Tackle Climate Change
It’s time to act rapidly and decisively
Ecology
What Dune Should Teach Us about the Beauty of ‘Wastelands’
There are deep-rooted connections between sustainable deserts and a sustainable future
Electronics
All Small Electronics Should Have the Same Charging Port, New E.U. Rule Says
In a bid to reduce waste, a proposed regulation would require phones and other small electronics to switch to USB-C
Agriculture
Living ‘Bee Fences’ Protect Farmers from Elephants, and Vice Versa
A string of hives between posts can fend off the pachyderms better than other deterrents, research shows
Oceans
Bringing Fisheries Back from the Brink
Marine biologist Daniel Pauly did a turnabout from helping fishing trawlers to fighting them. Can struggling fisheries now turn around?
Climate Change
Infrastructure Bill Could Cut Carbon Emissions By Nearly a Gigaton
Provisions in the reconciliation package working its way through Congress would help meet Biden’s climate pledge
Agriculture
In-Hive Sensors Could Help Ailing Bee Colonies
The technology could help beekeepers reduce short-term losses, but it doesn’t address long-term problems facing honeybees
Conservation
Indigenous Amazon Communities Fight Deforestation with New Early-Alert Tool
A pilot program reveals that deforestation declined when Peruvian Indigenous communities use an early-alert-system app to detect forest loss
Space & Physics
Forget Area 51
There are way more important planetary concerns to direct your attention to
IQ2O: Getting Smart About Water
The current state of our water supply has been called a crisis in slow motion, facing a perfect storm of higher demands from a growing population, changing weather patterns due to climate change and safety threats caused by decaying infrastructure...
Japan Now Has More EV Chargers Than Gas Stations
For any alternative fuel in transport, the key question is: what about infrastructure? As in, how much does infrastructure cost, what are the environmental effects, and who is actually going to pay for it?...
Environment
Indian Railways and Military Go Solar
There's been no shortage recently of big companies going big on solar, nor of middlemen trying to pave the way for bulk buying of solar power, but when the beast that is national procurement gets involved, the ante is upped...
A Tale of Two City-States
How Hong Kong and Singapore Went from Fishing Villages to Urban Lodestars I'm writing this on a flight from Hong Kong where news has just broken that the father of the Singaporean city-state Lee Kuan Yew has passed away...
Environment
The Overly Dramatic Demise of the Light Bulb
Remember when the fight against phasing out inefficient incandescent light bulbs was a big deal? Well it seems the sky didn't fall. Just recently, Canada joined the United States, the European Union, and Australia among several countries (see map below) to phase out the production and import of inefficient incandescent light bulbs...
