Environmental groups renew legal challenge of massive Denver Water reservoir expansion
A years-long legal battle over the expansion of one of the reservoirs holding Denver's water supply entered a new chapter this week when environmental groups asked a judge to invalidate the federal permits underlying the $464 million project......»»
Saturday Citations: Cold dark matter takes a hit; a new paradigm for biology; those fracking earthquakes
This week, researchers formulated a new method to calculate the probability of generating intelligent life in the universe. Investigations of a meteorite that originated on Mars revealed that it once interacted with liquid water. And an analysis of f.....»»
What Lee Zeldin’s Nomination Means for the EPA
What to expect from Donald Trump’s EPA pick: deregulation justified as boosts for the economy and platitudes about the importance of clean air and water......»»
Ultrafast lasers enable manipulation of polar order in a charge density wave at room temperature
Addressing the challenge of controlling electronic states in materials, the scientific community has been exploring innovative methods. Recently, researchers from Peking University, led by Professor Nanlin Wang, in collaboration with Professor Qiaome.....»»
Today"s buildings hold the key to housing tomorrow"s population, says professor
Curbing new-build construction, renovating existing buildings at pace and rethinking how we use them: according to Philippe Thalmann, an urban and environmental economics professor at EPFL, these are the steps we'll need to take to both meet climate.....»»
Can AI improve plant-based meats? Using mechanical testing and machine learning to mimic the sensory experience
Cutting back on animal protein in our diets can save on resources and greenhouse gas emissions. But convincing meat-loving consumers to switch up their menu is a challenge. Looking at this problem from a mechanical engineering angle, Stanford enginee.....»»
Video: Environmental health professor explains wastewater woes
Few of us think about what happens to our waste after we flush the toilet, but to Jay Graham, its path is a critical part of improving human health......»»
Opinon: Shell"s legal victory is disappointing—but this is not the end for corporate climate litigation
In the first ruling of its kind, the Dutch Hague District Court in 2021 ordered a fossil fuel company, Shell, to slash its emissions. This decision would have required the oil and gas giant to cut its emissions by 45% by 2030 (compared with 2019 leve.....»»
One or many? Exploring the population groups of the Antarctic blue whale using historical mark-recovery data
Hunted nearly to extinction during 20th century whaling, the Antarctic blue whale, the world's largest animal, went from a population size of roughly 200,000 to little more than 300. The most recent estimate in 2004 put Antarctic blue whales at less.....»»
Elon Musk teases sixth Starship flight test with video of spectacular catch
Ahead of the Starship's sixth test flight, SpaceX boss Elon Musk has shared a spectacular video showing the massive booster being caught on its return to Earth......»»
Climate change: Women"s role in the economy is key to a just transition
The realities of climate change are hitting home for many people living in the Global South. Food security, water access and health have been jeopardized by increased temperatures, extreme weather events and sea level rise......»»
Discovery of 2,586 orphan genes in Rosa chinensis reveals stress adaptation and flower development
Orphan genes, found only in specific lineages, are key drivers of new functions and phenotypic traits. This discovery lays a foundation for understanding how roses thrive under environmental challenges......»»
This massive upgrade to ChatGPT is coming in January — and it’s not GPT-5
OpenAI announced on Wednesday that it plans to release a new AI agent feature that will be able to act on a user's behalf......»»
Rainwater Could Help Satisfy AI’s Water Demands
A few dozen ChatGPT queries cost a bottle’s worth of water. Tech firms should consider simpler solutions, such as harvesting rainwater, to meet AI’s needs.....»»
Let African Communities Manage Their Climate Adaptation Plans
Outside groups often offer their solutions for climate adaptation in Africa. But the best people to manage the climate crisis are the people in those communities themselves. For climate adaptation to succeed in Africa, let communities and local leade.....»»
Water under Threat, Wooden Satellites and a Mud Bath for Baseballs
Droughts in 48 of 50 U.S. states, evidence of microplastics mucking up wastewater recycling and the science of a baseball mud bath in this week’s news roundup......»»
We Need to Ensure Legal Cannabis Is Safe
Today’s cannabis plant is highly cultivated and incredibly potent. Treating it like a commodity, and not a testable, regulated medicine, is hurting people.....»»
Apple tops list of retailers for removal of hazardous chemicals from stores
Apple's environmental credentials have been praised, as it has scored the highest among retailers in the U.S. and Canada for removing hazardous chemicals and plastics.Apple logo in trees - Image credit: AppleThe 2024 Retailer Report Card from Toxic-F.....»»
Using genetic code expansion to study membrane proteins
Over the years, chemical biology methods have made an important contribution to the study of integral membrane proteins. A key modern approach is genetic code expansion (GCE), which makes it possible to modify proteins directly in living cells to giv.....»»
Theoretical model explains the anomalous properties of water in extreme conditions
Water, a molecule essential for life, has unusual properties—known as anomalies—that define its behavior. However, there are still many enigmas about the molecular mechanisms that would explain the anomalies that make the water molecule unique. D.....»»
Scientists compile library for evaluating exoplanet water
By probing chemical processes observed in the Earth's hot mantle, Cornell scientists have started developing a library of basalt-based spectral signatures that not only will help reveal the composition of planets outside of our solar system but could.....»»