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Most states pushing for efficiency standards, net-zero buildings
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsU.S. states are investing more in their energy efficiency efforts to deliver increased power savings even as the federal government is freeing the reigns of some of its environmental rules, according to the 2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. Per the report, the 12th annual version, dispatched by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), there are clear leaders nationally — Massachusetts and California — as well as most-improved states — like New Jersey. Some states lost ground from previous reports, and others are lagging behind, including North Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming.
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World Economic Forum recognizes green manufacturing solutions
Michelle R. Matisons ManufacturingThis week, President Trump boasted that 2018’s 284,000 new manufacturing jobs indicate he has a "magic wand" for job growth. This number, which reflects the greatest annual manufacturing growth since 1997, sounds good. But are they sustainable jobs in line with global emissions reduction goals? Not necessarily. When GM announced plant closure plans, it stated that it is preparing to manufacture greener electric vehicles, pitting jobs against the environment. But, according to many attending this week’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, jobs and the environment do not have to be at odds. Or do they?
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Why the drop in the monarch butterfly population is important for humans
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalThe Western monarch butterfly population in California declined 86 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit group that conducts an annual survey of the species in the Western United States. Even more stark for the species is that it has dropped a shocking 97 percent since the 1980s, the agency reports. The decline is "potentially catastrophic" told biologist Emma Pelton, who oversees the Xerces Society survey, to The New York Times.
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Alphabet subsidiary Makani is developing a wind-generating kite
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & Environmental"Go fly a kite" may soon have real-world positive outcomes rather than the derogatory statement it has been for years. If Google parent company Alphabet has its way, kites might be the future of the sustainable energy effort as one of its subsidiaries, Makani, is developing a concept known as an "energy kite." The kite looks more like a biplane with dual wings and a number of turbines that resemble propellers. The current version of the kite could generate up to 600 kilowatts of energy, which could power 300 homes.
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How the ‘pest of the year’ affects facility managers
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsThe Terminix International Company, one of the largest pest control companies in the world, operating in 47 U.S. states and 22 countries around the world, recently published the results of its second annual study/report that takes a "look back at the pest trends of the last year." For the two years of the report’s existence, the company has said bed bugs are the “Pest of the Year.” The rationality for the decision is based on a truly 21st century metric — online search results.
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After national legalization of marijuana, Canadian agency studies human…
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Civil & GovernmentMarijuana became legal in Canada in October 2018. Like many states in the U.S., government officials are struggling with how to manage, measure and understand both legal and illegal use of cannabis. This is where the study of human excrement comes in. Sewage in several municipalities will be studied to gain knowledge of cannabis use. Statistics Canada will use a process referred to as wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to estimate cannabis use by the general public in several Canadian municipalities.
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Seasonal traditions maintained in disaster-affected communities
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalThis past year we have witnessed many U.S. communities get turned upside down, even destroyed, by significant weather events. We have also witnessed significant developments on the climate change front, as the Paris Agreement lives on despite the deregulation of U.S. environmental protections that is underway, including clean water protections.
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Global CO2 emissions on the rise again after brief drop
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalGlobal fossil fuel emissions appear to be rising again, for a second year in a row, because of growing energy use. These are the findings of new estimates from the Global Carbon Project, an initiative led by Stanford University scientist Rob Jackson. The Global Carbon Project's report, "Global Energy Growth Is Outpacing De-carbonization," appeared Dec. 5 in the peer-reviewed Environmental Research Letters, with additional data published in Earth System Science Data.
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4 invasive species you can hunt
John McAdams Recreation & LeisurePeople have been moving wildlife to new locations for various reasons over the course of virtually all of human history. Some species have adapted well to their new homes with very few problems. Others have been incredibly destructive and have caused irreparable damage to native flora and fauna. Regardless of how those species first got there or the sort of impacts they have had on ecosystems, there are lots of opportunities to hunt various non-native species all over the world. Here are a few of the most notable examples of invasive species that may be hunted.
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UN climate talks polarized by protest, coal politics
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalAnother round of climate talks have begun in Katowice, Poland, at an event known as COP24. Thus far, the event has featured heated clashes with police and heated debates about the Paris Agreement, both regarding a heating planet Earth. There have been serious protests against dirty energy while more protests and behind-the-scenes controversies are brewing. Let’s begin with the protests, and then consider what’s happening behind the scenes at this historic gathering of world leaders, industry spokespeople, nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations, citizen activist groups, and direct action insurrectionaries.
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