Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Germany Sees Solar Power Soar as It Works to Wean Off Russian Gas

 

at 8/19/22 6:00am

German solar power is hitting new records this summer, and is set for further growth as the government enacts new policies to spur the expansion of renewable energy.Read more on E360 →

— Two-Thirds of Alaska's Kenai Fjords Glaciers In Retreat, Study Finds

 

at 8/17/22 6:00am

Almost half of Kenai Fjords National Park, which sits on the southern coast of Alaska, is covered in glacial ice. As temperatures rise, almost two-thirds of the park's glaciers are in retreat, a new study finds. Read more on E360 →

— The Three Cricketeers: Betting on Bug Food to Help the Planet

 

at 8/16/22 1:00am

A family in Minnesota wants to put crickets on your dinner plate. In the First Runner-Up in the 2022 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest, they explain how the insects are a high-protein food that can help reduce the massive emissions produced by livestock and large-scale farming.Read more on E360 →

— Massive Pumped Hydro Facility to Open This Summer in the Swiss Alps

 

at 8/15/22 6:00am

One of the world’s largest pumped hydropower projects, with an electricity storage capacity equivalent to 400,000 electric vehicles, is set to begin operations soon in the Swiss Alps.Read more on E360 →

— Once Feared Extinct, a Rare Hummingbird Is Rediscovered In Colombia

 

at 8/12/22 6:00am

A rare hummingbird, not seen since 2010, has been rediscovered in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains.Read more on E360 →

— River Cleanups Move to the Next Level Using Grasses and Oysters

 

at 8/11/22 12:00am

In the Delaware River and other waterways and estuaries across the United States, scientists and conservationists are restoring aquatic vegetation and beds of mussels and oysters to fight pollution and create a strong foundation for healthy ecosystems.Read more on E360 →

— A Summer of Arctic Melting Hits Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago

 

at 8/10/22 6:55am

Elevated temperatures in the Arctic, which caused massive melting of the Greenland ice sheet during a three-day period in July, also have touched off rapid glacial melting in Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago. Read more on E360 →

— Lack of Data May Be Hiding True Extent of Biodiversity Loss

 

at 8/9/22 2:03am

The number of species facing extinction may be much higher than previously thought, according to a new study.Read more on E360 →

— A Thai Community Treasures — and Defends — Its Woodlands

 

at 8/8/22 1:30am

“We and the Woods,” the Second Runner-Up in the 2022 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest, tells the story of an ascetic community in western Thailand whose residents have a deep connection to the forest and have banded together to protect their woodlands from logging, tourism projects, and other development.Read more on E360 →

— Parts of Great Barrier Reef See Most Extensive Coral Cover In 36 Years

 

at 8/5/22 10:44am

In the northern and central stretches of the Great Barrier Reef, scientists have recorded the most extensive coral cover seen in 36 years of study, according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). Read more on E360 →

— Typically Rainy Parts of Europe Facing Deepening Drought, Water Restrictions

 

at 8/4/22 2:00am

The UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, three countries accustomed to regular rainfall, are seeing intense drought this summer, with unusually dry conditions expected to persist through September.Read more on E360 →

— European Heat Waves Force Closure of Classic Climbing Routes in Alps

 

at 8/3/22 2:30am

European mountain guides are cancelling climbs up some of the most iconic peaks in the Alps, including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn, as a series of heat waves and rapidly melting glaciers have made the routes too dangerous. Read more on E360 →

— In Nebraska, Bighorn Sheep Reclaim Their Former High Plains Home

 

at 8/2/22 3:00am

In “High Plains Wild” — the Third Runner-Up in the 2022 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest — filmmaker Mariah Lundgren tells the story of efforts by wildlife biologists, conservationists, and landowners to reintroduce and sustain the magnificent bighorn sheep in Nebraska.Read more on E360 →

— Pathogens Able to Travel on Floating Plastic Waste, Study Finds

 

at 8/1/22 9:00am

New research shows that various human pathogens cling to microplastics in seawater.Read more on E360 →

— Long a Climate Laggard, Ireland Lays Path to Cut Emissions in Half by 2030

 

at 7/29/22 10:56am

Ireland, which has historically lagged behind other European nations in tackling climate change, has set a course to slash emissions by 51 percent by 2030.Read more on E360 →

— More Energy on Less Land: The Drive to Shrink Solar’s Footprint

 

at 7/28/22 3:00am

With the push for renewables leading to land-use conflicts, building highly efficient utility-scale solar farms on ever-smaller tracts of land has become a top priority. New approaches range from installing PV arrays that take up less space to growing crops between rows of panels. Read more on E360 →

— Massachusetts Bill Would Allow Residents to Contribute to Climate-Vulnerable Countries When Filing Taxes

 

at 7/27/22 11:03am

A bill working its way through the Massachusetts state legislature would allow residents to contribute to a UN fund for climate-vulnerable countries when filing their tax returns.Read more on E360 →

— Biden Administration Touts Plans to Plant a Billion Trees, Restore Forests Scarred by Wildfires

 

at 7/26/22 10:20am

The Biden administration has unveiled new plans to restore woodlands beset by drought, insect infestations, and wildfires, including planting more than 1 billion trees on federal lands.Read more on E360 →

— Porsche Says Its EVs Will Soon Be More Profitable Than Its Gas-Powered Cars

 

at 7/25/22 9:38am

Porsche expects that, within two years, its electric cars will be as profitable as its conventional cars, and that within five years, its electric cars will prove even more profitable.Read more on E360 →

— Wild Tiger Numbers 40 Percent Higher Than Previously Estimated

 

at 7/22/22 10:54am

The number of endangered tigers around the world is 40 percent higher than previously thought, according to new data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).Read more on E360 →

— How Preventing Unwanted Pregnancies Can Help on Climate

 

at 7/21/22 6:14am

Voluntary family planning is too often ignored as a means to lower carbon emissions. But by making reproductive technologies more freely available, we can reduce global population — and human-caused emissions — in a manner that is consistent with personal liberties. Read more on E360 →

As of 8/19/22 2:09pm. Last new 8/19/22 6:51am.