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Doug Ducey has agreed to dismantle a makeshift border wall that triggered a lawsuit by the federal government and rankled environmentalists. The agreement comes one week after federal officials filed a lawsuit against Ducey’s administration saying the border project was illegally built on federal land. Protesters spent weeks camping in freezing temperatures along the border wall, and had vowed to stay there until the containers were removed. Karamargin said the assurance from federal officials paved the way for Ducey to agree to remove the shipping containers. The shipping container project cost Arizona at least $82 million, Karamargin said.

☆ Environmentalists sue to stop U.S. oil and gas auction off Alaska coast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Industry Insight | Saw Law Firms Move Past The Pandemic Into A More Client-Focused Service Environment | Thomson Reuters Institute | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Environmental groups sued the Biden administration on Wednesday to block a sale of oil and gas drilling rights off the coast of Alaska that is scheduled for next week. Interior had scrapped the Cook Inlet sale this year before the IRA passed, citing a lack of industry interest. "Cook Inlet is already experiencing severe effects of climate change, and new oil and gas leasing will only magnify those harms," the complaint said. Cook Inlet stretches 180 miles (290 km) from Anchorage to the Gulf of Alaska. Operating oil and gas platforms in the area are all in state waters, but oil production has declined substantially since peaking in the 1970s.

After a two-week standoff between protesters and construction crews building a border wall made of shipping containers, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Arizona, accusing it of trespassing on federal land. "Arizona has unlawfully and without authority failed to remove the shipping containers from lands owned by the United States or over which the United States holds easements, thereby damaging the United States," the complaint reads. In August, Ducey issued an executive order directing the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to fill gaps in the existing border wall in Yuma County using shipping containers. Important waterways are being damaged or altered by the placement of shipping containers on land that serves as important habitats and crossings, including for endangered species, he said. "Under the Clean Water Act, they have created a dam with those shipping containers and it just looks like a junkyard now."

MEXICO CITY, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Environmental groups filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court on Wednesday, pressuring the U.S. government to sanction Mexico for failing to protect the critically endangered vaquita, the world's smallest porpoise, according to court documents. The lawsuit seeks to pressure the U.S. government to sanction Mexico under a fisheries law called the "Pelly Amendment" to the Fishermen's Protective Act, which authorizes the U.S. President to embargo imports of wildlife products, including fish, from another country. The vaquita porpoise, found in Mexico's upper Gulf of California, has over the last five years seen its population devastated to the point that it is now considered in "serious danger of extinction." The other organizations that joined the lawsuit are the Animal Welfare Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In mid-November, CITES - an international convention to protect endangered species - told Mexico it must protect the vaquita or face sanctions early next year.

The Detroit automaker's average estimated real-world fuel economy and its carbon emissions ranked the second-worst in the industry for the 2021 model-year, according to the EPA. Both automakers decreased their fuel economy and increased C02 emissions since the 2016 model-year, according to the EPA, as did Hyundai Motor , Mazda and Volkswagen . The 2021 average vehicle fuel economy was at an all-time high of 25.4 miles per gallon, unchanged from the year prior. Its average fuel economy, which is measures in terms of miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent, or mpge, was 123.9 miles. Just 4% of 2021 vehicles were electric, plug-in hybrids or fuel cell vehicles, though the EPA projects that figure will rise to 8% in 2022.

☆ Border barrier of shipping containers snakes across Arizona wilderness
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Liliana Salgado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz., Dec 8 (Reuters) - A long, thin line stretches across the dusty Arizona landscape. It is a border barrier - but not the customary wall or fence. This is made up entirely of shipping containers stacked on top of each other. Border communities had been overwhelmed, he argued, saying the double-stacked containers would reach 22 feet (6.7 m) high. What we're here to do is enjoy our public lands in a strategic way that hinders the placement of further shipping containers," said Eamon Harrity, wildlife project manager at Sky Island Alliance.

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☆ Endangered status sought for manatees as hundreds starve
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Manatees that are dying by the hundreds mainly from pollution-caused starvation in Florida should once again be listed as an endangered species, environmental groups said Monday in a petition seeking the change. Fish and Wildlife Service contends it was an error to take manatees off the endangered list in 2017, leaving the slow-moving marine mammals listed only as threatened. Under the Endangered Species Act, a species is considered endangered if it is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” A threatened species is one that may become endangered in the foreseeable future. “Re-designating manatees as endangered will be a critical first step in righting a terrible wrong,” Rose said. The Fish and Wildlife Service has 90 days to determine whether restoring the manatee to endangered status is warranted and, if so, 12 months from the date of the petition to complete a review of the manatee’s status.

☆ Analysis: COP27 loss and damage fund heralds 'new dawn for climate justice'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Yeb Saño, head of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said the fund's approval "marks a new dawn for climate justice." While the loss and damage fund would not be enough to deal with growing climate losses, "it is a much-needed political signal to rebuild broken trust" between rich and poor nations, he said in a video statement. Their opposition was rooted in fears of being held financially liable for the impacts of their historically high greenhouse gas emissions. FOSSIL FUELS MISSINGPolitical figures had urged countries at COP27 to set aside geopolitical fights in order to keep climate action on track. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global climate and energy lead for environmental group WWF, who presided over COP20 in Peru, said leaders had missed the chance in Egypt to speed up the rapid and deep emissions cuts essential to limit climate damage.

☆ How to have a low-waste, climate friendly Thanksgiving feast
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Susan Puckett | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Less is moreA classic Thanksgiving plate, featuring turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans and gravy. His Thanksgiving preparations start with a trip to a local farmers market, where he can thank the growers personally for his bounty. Leftover idea: Here’s how Acheson turns leftovers into a turkey avocado sandwich as memorable as the feast. Divide and conquerMeal prep is essential to make sure your Thanksgiving dinner tastes great and minimizes waste, says Lisa Bryan. Bryan understands that executing a chaos-free Thanksgiving dinner takes practice.

☆ Climate justice gets harder as world population passes 8 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Gloria Dickie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

These are also among the countries most vulnerable to climate impacts, and most in need of climate finance. "A SIGN OF HUMAN SUCCESS"Globally, the 8 billion population milestone represents 1 billion people added to the planet in just the last 11 years. Even while the global population reaches ever-new highs, demographers note that the growth rate has fallen steadily to less than 1% per year. "A big part of this story is that this era of rapid population growth that the world has known for centuries is coming to an end," Wilmoth said. Rapid population growth combined with climate change is likely to cause mass migration and conflict in coming decades, experts said.

☆ Grizzlies could roam wildest reaches of Washington state again, but first a mountain of red tape
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Threatened grizzly bears could roam again in the wildest reaches of Washington state. The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service announced Thursday they have restarted the on-again, off-again process to reintroduce grizzlies to North Cascades National Park. Grizzlies haven’t been spotted with certainty in the North Cascades since 1996, the National Park Service said in a news release. People killed them,” said Jason Ransom, who leads the wildlife program at North Cascades National Park. The National Park Service has scheduled several virtual meetings to discuss the proposal.

☆ COP27-US targets methane in 'relentless' emissions focus
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It would also force methane emissions reductions from flaring equipment and create a system to detect leaks from "super-emitter" sites quickly so operators can repair them faster and local community residents are aware. The EPA said the stronger rules would reduce methane from the oil and gas industry by 87% below 2005 levels and would help the United States to meet its commitment under the Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions economy-wide by 30% this decade. OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY LOBBYINGThe oil and gas industry had urged the agency to exclude hundreds of thousands of low-producing wells on the grounds frequent monitoring would be inefficient and costly. It dovetailed with a U.N. announcement on Friday that it will launch a global public database of methane leaks detected by space satellites to encourage companies and governments to plug them. The EPA will take public input on the methane rule until Feb. 13, 2023 and plans to finalize it by the end of that year.

☆ Emperor penguins are now a threatened species due to climate change, U.S. officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Endangered Species Act. Fish and Wildlife Service said emperor penguins should be protected under the law since the birds build colonies and raise their young on the Antarctic ice threatened by climate change. The agency’s review followed a 2011 petition by the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity to list the bird under the Endangered Species Act. Tuesday’s designation was described as a warning that emperor penguins need “urgent climate action” in order to survive by Shaye Wolf, the climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. The 1973 Endangered Species Act is credited with bringing several animals back from the brink of extinction, including grizzly bears, bald eagles, gray whales and others.

☆ Emperor penguins now a threatened species due to climate change, U.S. says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Clark Mindock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Endangered Species Act. Fish and Wildlife Service said emperor penguins should be protected under the law since the birds build colonies and raise their young on the Antarctic ice threatened by climate change. The agency's review followed a 2011 petition by the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity to list the bird under the Endangered Species Act. Tuesday's designation was described as a warning that emperor penguins need “urgent climate action” in order to survive by Shaye Wolf, the climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity. The 1973 Endangered Species Act is credited with bringing several animals back from the brink of extinction, including grizzly bears, bald eagles, gray whales and others.

☆ Endangered species protections kick in too late, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The study suggests that the Endangered Species Act, a bedrock tool of conservation, has become bogged down by delays and inaction that are hampering its mission. Decisions on whether species should be listed are supposed to take two years, according to Noah Greenwald, the endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Species are slipping through the cracks.”The new study builds upon research that began decades ago in a study that analyzed species listed from 1985 through 1992. Although few species have fully recovered and been delisted, it’s important to remember that the Endangered Species Act has been instrumental in preventing extinction, Greenwald said. “99% of species protected under the Endangered Species Act still survive, which is highly significant,” he said.

☆ In a novel experiment, brain-like human tissue implanted in rat brains influenced the rodents' behavior
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Their results, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, showed that the brain-like human tissue integrated with the rat tissue, then continued to mature. The researchers injected the human tissue into the rats’ somatosensory cortexes — regions that receive and process sensory information like touch or pain. The researchers also used a puff of air to prod the rats’ whiskers, then observed how the human neurons responded. "We found that human neurons respond very quickly after we stimulated the whiskers. "Human neurons become part of the rat circuitry," Pașca said, adding that the neurons were "sparkling with electrical activity" under a microscope.

Share this -Link copiedFloridians are livestreaming Hurricane Ian on TikTok Floridians are giving TikTok users a front-row seat to Hurricane Ian. Storm surge map, they didn’t have a color for 12 to 15 feet," he said about the historic levels of storm surge expected near where Ian is expected to make landfall. Share this -Link copiedA view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station A view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station, on Monday. Share this -Link copiedSatellite images show Hurricane Ian approaching Florida Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday. Share this -Link copiedIan expected to strengthen until making landfall, officials say Hurricane Ian is still forecast to strengthen until the hurricane makes landfall in Florida, the National Hurricane Center said.

Storm surge map, they didn’t have a color for 12 to 15 feet," he said about the historic levels of storm surge expected near where Ian is expected to make landfall. Share this -Link copiedA view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station A view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station, on Monday. “We are extremely concerned about the potential impacts Hurricane Ian may have on phosphate facilities around the state,” Whitlock added. Share this -Link copiedIan strengthens into Category 4 storm Hurricane Ian has strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it advances upon Florida's west coast. Share this -Link copiedSatellite images show Hurricane Ian approaching Florida Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday.

Share this -Link copiedView of Hurricane Ian from International Space Station View of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station. Share this -Link copiedIan on track to make landfall in Florida as 'catastrophic' Category 4 storm Hurricane Ian is strengthening as it nears Florida's west coast, officials said. “We are extremely concerned about the potential impacts Hurricane Ian may have on phosphate facilities around the state,” Whitlock added. Share this -Link copiedIan strengthens into Category 4 storm Hurricane Ian has strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it advances upon Florida's west coast. Share this -Link copiedSatellite images show Hurricane Ian approaching Florida Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico early on Wednesday morning.

☆ Millennials and Gen Z want to stop a climate catastrophe. But first they have to get elected.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +24 min

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, told young climate activists in 2019, "You didn't vote for me." AP Photo/Gemunu AmarasingheBut most policy debates aren't genuinely existential in the way climate change is. "Younger Democrats tend to have a much more friendly relationship and response to the party's activist class than older Democrats do." Fossil-fuel interests have played a central role in stymieing progress on climate change for decades. Nearly a decade later, Trump ran for and won the presidency — with Gingrich's early and staunch support — while calling climate change a "hoax."

☆ Studiu: COVID-19 ar putea fi o afecţiune vasculară şi nu una respiratorie
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-06 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +5 min

Potrivit cercătătorilor, COVID-19 nu ar fi o afecţiune a aparatului respirator, ci a celui vascular. Proteina S a virusului, „vârful” care alcătuieşte coroana, atacă receptorul ACE2, deteriorând mitocondriile, care generează energia celulelor, iar acest lucru provoacă leziuni endoteliului, care acoperă vasele de sânge. „Multe persoane cred că este o afecţiune respiratorie, dar în realitate este o afecţiune vasculară”, spune profesorul Uri Manor, co-autorul studiului. De fapt, chiar de la începutul pandemiei, aceasta a reprezentat o problemă reală a secţiilor de terapie intensivă. Pentru profesorul Mendiluce, aceast studiu nu pune în discuţie vaccinurile deja existente, chiar dacă e necesar să se înţeleagă de ce Astra-Zeneca şi Johnson&Johnson au provocat câteva cazuri de trombi în sânge.

Persons: Uri Manor, Rafael Manez Mendiluce, Johnson, Manor Organizations: Universitatea San, Astra Locations: Universitatea San Diego, California, Jolla, Bellvitge

☆ Jeff Bezos, cel mai bogat om din lume, a donat primele 791 000 000 de dolari pentru luptă împotriva schimbărilor climaterice
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-17 | by ( Onixmedia Srl | ) diez.md time to read: +2 min

Jeff Bezos, cel mai bogat om din lume, a donat primele 791 000 000 de dolari pentru luptă împotriva schimbărilor climatericeFondatorul Amazon, Jeff Bezos, a anunțat anterior că intenționează să doneze suma de 10 miliarde de dolari în lupta împotriva schimbărilor climaterice. La începutul anului Bezos a înființat un fond de salvare a Pământului și vrea să atragă și alți bogați ai lumii de partea sa. Despre primele aproape 800 000 000 de dolari donate Bezos a anunțat într-o postare pe pagina sa de Instagram. Astăzi, îmi face plăcere să anunț primii beneficiari ai Fondului Pământ Bezos – 16 organizații care lucrează la soluții inovatoare, ambițioase și cu mișcare de ace. Aceste 791 de milioane de dolari în donații sunt doar începutul angajamentului meu de 10 miliarde de dolari pentru a finanța oameni de știință, activiști, ONG-uri și altele.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Jeff Organizations: Bezos, Energy Foundation, Natural Resources, Rocky Mountain Institute, Salk, World Resources Institute, World Wildlife Fund Locations: Eden

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