Climate Change/Air Quality / Public News Service

Family farm advocates say not only are they worried about so-called factory farms getting federal conservation funds, they also contend there's little oversight of the money that is awarded to them. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, December 8, 2023

Some SD farmers unhappy with industrial ag getting conservation funds

Agriculture accounts for more than 10% of greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States. Advocates for small farms in South Dakota hope the next Farm …

The Peterbilt 520 EV, a fully electric garbage truck, made a test run in Portland, Ore., on Nov. 11, 2023. (scharfsinn86/Adobe Stock)

Friday, December 8, 2023

Heavy-duty trucks: Rolling toward electric power?

While lawmakers and environmental groups strive to lower vehicle emissions and the nation's carbon footprint, many truckers see unrealistic …

In 2008, Connecticut passed the Global Warming Solutions Act, which established its climate goals. This means getting greenhouse-gas emissions 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% below 2001 levels by 2050. (Adobe Stock)

Friday, December 8, 2023

Misinformation slows CT’s new emission standards

Connecticut lawmakers are reluctant to approve new emission standards that would require 90% cleaner emissions from internal-combustion engines and re…

Officials with the Aging and Climate Change Clearinghouse contend the baby boomer generation has developed consumption patterns exacerbating climate change. They say changing patterns, such as making homes energy-efficient, can help reduce the climate threats they face. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, December 7, 2023

New project weaves in older populations in responding to climate threats

From prolonged droughts to intense rain and snowstorms, the Midwest is not immune to climate change threats. An emerging resource aims to place more …

Officials with the Aging and Climate Change Clearinghouse contended the baby boomer generation has developed consumption patterns exacerbating climate change. Officials said changing patterns, such as making their homes energy-efficient, can help reduce the climate threats they face. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Research project aims to make climate adaptation age-inclusive

From prolonged droughts to intense rain and snowstorms, the Midwest is not immune to climate change threats. An emerging resource aims to place more …

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Backers of offshore wind tout good jobs, fossil fuel independence

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy wants the state's Board of Public Utilities to initiate more bids for offshore wind projects in the New Year. The move …

In addition to accelerating global warming, methane emissions can cause or exacerbate asthma and other respiratory conditions. (Hihitetlin/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

New EPA rule expected to affect Texas oil industry emissions

A new rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency could reduce the amount of methane escaping from equipment in Texas oil fields. Last …

The Maine Legislature has enacted laws to reduce the state's greenhouse-gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, and transitioning Maine's electricity use to 80% renewable energy by 2030. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

New heat-pump technology helps Maine reduce oil use, reach climate goals

A new report shows Maine is exceeding the home-heating goals set forth in its ambitious four-year climate plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions…

New York State's climate goals would have the state using 70% renewable energy by 2030, and use zero-emission electricity by 2040. (Adobe Stock)

Report: New York won’t meet its 2030 climate goals

Just as New York State prepares for its first offshore wind farm to come online, a new report predicted the state will not meet its climate goals…

Nearly half of people living in Alamosa, where Xcel Energy plans to build one of three new natural gas power plants, identify as Hispanic or Latino according to U.S. Census data. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental justice and Xcel plans for new fossil fuel power plants

Xcel Energy says its latest proposal before the Public Utilities Commission will help Colorado reach it's clean energy goals - by adding more wind and…

Iowa has warmed 0.5 to 1 degree in the last century, and floods are becoming more frequent. In the coming decades, the state will have more extremely hot days, which may harm public health in urban areas and corn harvests in rural areas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. (Adobe Stock)

State skips climate-change grants, Iowa cities reap $3 million instead

A handful of Iowa's biggest cities has been awarded $3 million to work on solutions to climate change at the local level. The climate pollution …

Global warming is impacted by atmospheric ammonia and nitrogen oxides, both from animal waste and fertilizers. (Adobe Stock)

NASA grant funds study on impact of farming techniques on greenhouse gases

NASA-funded research using satellites to study atmospheric nitrogen will examine how different farming approaches affect greenhouse gas emissions…

A decision on whether to provide Endangered Species protections to wolverine has wavered since the 1990s. (Karlos Lomsky/Adobe Stock)

Decades-long effort yields protections for dwindling wolverine population

In a long-awaited decision being celebrated by conservation groups, the wolverine will receive greater protections across the northern Cascades and …

PA schools could soon be powered by sun as solar bill advances to Senate

Bipartisan legislation that proposes the installation of solar panels in schools across Pennsylvania awaits a vote in the state Senate. The Solar …

The Thrive Indianapolis Annual Report 2022 says Indianapolis has been recognized as a Tree City USA for 35 consecutive years. (Adobe Stock)

Indy, Bloomington recognized for environmental action plans

Bloomington and Indianapolis are getting some international recognition for the work they're doing to help the environment. The two have been named …

Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offers rural electric cooperatives nearly $10 billion in grants and loans to help cover costs as they pursue cleaner forms of electricity. (Adobe Stock)

Using federal incentives, rural electric co-ops make clean 'power grab'

Utilities and government agencies in the U.S. are carrying out plans to transition to cleaner electricity sources. To avoid being left behind…

The Port of Long Beach is one of the busiest in the country and is serviced by thousands of trucks per day. (City of Long Beach)

As climate change conference opens, one CA city takes action

As world leaders gather in Dubai for the international conference on climate change, the City of Long Beach is acting on multiple fronts to help the …

Extremes of hot and cold weather have taken their toll on a concrete barrier along Binghamton's Riverwalk. Concrete crumbles between the stones of the wall in upstate New York. (Chet Wiker/Adobe Stock)

Will big oil companies cover climate change costs in NY?

Some state and local lawmakers are on a long list calling on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to require big oil companies to help offset the costs of …

Since the summer of 2022, the State of Arizona has already secured more than $10 billion in new clean energy investments, which are projected to create more than 13,500 new jobs, according to Climate Power. (Adobe Stock)

Public and private sectors discuss AZ's clean energy economy

The Arizona Governor's Office of Resilience and industry leaders discussed clean energy investments in the state at Honeywell's facility in Phoenix Mo…

Based on current environmental impacts, residents of Petersburg have a life expectancy 10 years lower than the national average, according to U.S. News & World Report. (Adobe Stock)

VA environmentalists frustrated by FERC-approved pipeline extension

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a plan extending a natural-gas pipeline in Virginia. The Virginia Reliability Plan and Transcot's …

In the three decades between 1980 and 2010, Virginia's York River lost more than 20% of marsh area. By 2050, the region is projected to lose 40,000 acres to sea-level rise. (Adobe Stock)

New plan outlines ways to conserve VA’s coastal wetlands

A new plan takes an interconnected approach to saving Virginia's coastal wetlands. The aim of Virginia's York River and Small Coastal Basin …

Missouri wetlands have been reduced to 643,000 acres, a loss of 87% from their original footprint. (rodimovpavel/Adobe Stock)

MO duck-hunting season portends a grim future

Missouri's duck-hunting season runs through January, and many enthusiasts are concerned about how plentiful their future quarry will be because of a …

At least 33 different types of wetlands occur in Michigan. Twenty-six are considered rare because fewer than 100 are intact, Eight of the 26 rare wetland types are considered imperiled and at high risk of extinction. An additional three wetland types are considered critically imperiled and at very high risk of extinction. (rodimovpavel/Adobe Stock)

Wetlands ruling worries MI duck hunters

Michigan's duck-hunting season runs through January, and many enthusiasts are concerned about how plentiful their future quarry will be because of a …

Clean-air advocacy groups and the electric truck sector are calling on state governments to consider tax credits that would make EV trucks more affordable. (Adobe Stock)

EV companies call for building heavy-duty vehicle infrastructure

Clean-energy advocates in Ohio and around the country say now is the time for the government to ensure the nation has the medium- and heavy-duty truck…

In 2022, about 29% of the people in Florida's prison system were age 50 or older, which is one reason their advocates are urging state lawmakers to ensure prison housing units are climate-controlled. (geralt/Pixabay)

Heat crisis in FL prisons: Lawmakers urged to add air conditioning

Florida lawmakers are being asked to use the winter months to swiftly install air conditioning in prison housing units before the return of scorching …

According to Clean Jobs Midwest, 1.7 million homes are powered by the clean energy generated in Michigan, and the industry employs 123,983 people in the state. (pinkrabbit/Adobe Stock)

Sweeping clean energy bills passed in Michigan

New clean energy legislation in Michigan has passed and is heading to the governor's desk to be signed into law. Backers of the bills said they will …

Since the Inflation Reduction Act became law, there have been nearly 60 solar manufacturing announcements. Companies have also announced enough new battery manufacturing projects to support production of more than 10 million electric vehicles per year. (Hrui/Adobe Stock)

A focus on Inflation Reduction Act climate investments for NV

The group Elected Officials to Protect America says clean energy investments through the Inflation Reduction Act should pay off well for Nevada famili…

Between August 2022 and July 2023, more than $270 billion in capital investment was announced for utility-scale clean=energy projects and manufacturing facilities in the United States, according to American Clean Power. (Adobe Stock)

IRA investments crucial for clean energy, national security

Military veterans and lawmakers say investing in the clean-energy economy with Inflation Reduction Act funds is the way forward to combat climate chan…

The National Young Farmers Survey found 62% of Northeastern farmers attribute changes in weather events they are experiencing on their farms to climate change. (Adobe Stock)

Young NY farmers want Congress to help them withstand climate change

Young farmers in New York and across the country want Congress to help them deal with the effects of climate change. Bayer's Farmer Voice Survey …

Global natural gas markets remain tight as uncertainty persists around demand and further supply cuts by Russia, according to the International Energy Agency. (Adobe Stock)<br />

KY utility regulators' 'mixed' decision on LG&E proposal

Critics say the latest decision from state regulators on Louisville Gas and Electric's proposal to build two new gas plants and cycle out two aging co…

Maine's four-year climate plan aims to decrease the state's greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and 80% by 2050, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. (Adobe Stock)

ME towns share plans, resources to build climate resilience

Community groups across Maine are helping small towns with fewer resources better prepare for the growing threat of climate change. They are …

An increase in wildfires has brought devastation to Oregon in recent years. (Victoria Schaal/Adobe Stock)

Inflation Reduction Act will improve national security, vet group says

A group of veterans is touting the national security benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act. The organization Elected Officials to Protect America …

A detail from an illustration created by Hopelab depicts climate anxiety among youth. (Julie Tinker/Hopelab)

Research links climate-change impacts to depression in high schoolers

New research found natural disasters and pollution linked to climate change are contributing factors to high rates of anxiety and depression among you…

Historically the swale paintbrush grew in at least a dozen locations but has only been spotted in one since 1985. (courtesy MarkEgger/Flickr)

A New Mexico endangered species outside the cultural norm

It might not make hearts skip a beat like the sight of a Monarch butterfly or gray wolf, but biologists say a rare flowering New Mexico plant …

Elected officials: Inflation Reduction Act investments will aid national security

In order to fight climate change, officials are pushing for investments through the Inflation Reduction Act. The group Elected Officials to Protect …

Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection finds 67% of nitrogen oxide emissions, a key component of smog, came from transportation. (Adobe Stock)

Highway changes could make Hartford a walkable city

A Connecticut Department of Transportation study has outlined plans to make Hartford a walkable city. The Greater Hartford Mobility Study proposes …

Researchers are looking into whether reflective white paint on asphalt could reduce surface temperatures and thus reduce suffering in areas that host people experiencing homelessness. (Renee C. Byer/Sacramento Bee)

Can white paint be a part of the solution to combat climate change?

A new super-white paint in development may be a tool in the fight against climate change. Researchers at Purdue University are hoping to bring to …

Family farm advocacy groups have been fighting the proliferation of manure digesters and related factory farm gas infrastructure. They say independent family farms raising livestock sustainably have been shut out of conservation programs due to lack of funding. (Nina Lawrenson/peopleimages.com)

MO family farmers: Inflation Reduction Act funds not for factory farms

Advocates for Missouri's small family farms have taken to the U.S. Capitol today, to talk with lawmakers about what could be done in the next Farm …

The Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation will announce grant awards for youths in early December which will aim to increase environmental literacy, foster stewardship of natural resources, and promote physical health in the outdoors. (Adobe Stock)

NV group celebrates environmental wins, looks ahead to 2024

'Timely' and 'forward-looking' are the two terms one Nevada conservation group is using to describe the state's 2023 environmental landscape…

According to Pacific Environment, wind-assist propulsion can reduce greenhouse gas emissions per cargo ship by 30% over the course of a voyage. (Cargill and BAR Technologies)

Southern CA ports lead the way for 'green' shipping

The importance of making ports and shipping more environmentally friendly was the topic of a town hall meeting on Tuesday. Three California members …

Around 11,900 acres of the historic Bohart Ranch east of Colorado Springs used by U.S. Air Force Academy cadets have been permanently protected. (Adobe Stock)

SOAR aims to conserve open space, military readiness

The skies above the historic 48,000 acre Bohart Ranch and a remote airfield on the property serve an important role for the United States Air Force Ac…

According to Clean Grid Alliance, Indiana ranks 19th in the nation for solar power and 12th for wind-energy production. (Adobe stock)

Renewable energy fuels major economic payoffs in rural Indiana

Wind and solar projects are powering a big surge for Indiana's economy. You've probably seen tall wind turbines and row after row of flat panels on …

Revenue from Washington state's cap-and-trade program has exceeded expectations, bringing in $1.5 billion this year. (martin33/Adobe Stock)

WA cap-and-trade spending falls short for frontline communities

Washington state's Climate Commitment Act promised funds for communities on the front lines of climate change. One group is tracking those dollars to …

Elected leaders and Connexus Energy officials gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony in October to announce the planned installation of a battery storage system inside the company's Vadnais Heights substation. (Photo courtesy of CEEM)

MN project takes on energy reliability, affordability balancing act

In what's described as the first such project in the upper Midwest, a Minnesota utility is retooling one of its power distribution systems to make …

The group GreenLatinos is matching federal climate change grants with Latino environmental justice organizations, businesses, universities, unions, and elected officials. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental coalition to match Latino community groups with federal grants

The Biden Administration has earmarked millions of dollars from federal programs to help Latinos and other disadvantaged groups fight climate change…

The State of Montana works to reduce the threat of climate-induced avalanches on over 4,000 miles of trail across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Climate change to cost MT jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars

A new scientific report from a wildlife conservation group details the potential impacts of climate change on Montana jobs and the environment…

Activists are calling for climate action ahead of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in San Francisco. (Bay Climate Action)<br />

Activists petition world leaders for climate action at CA trade summit

Climate activists will deliver a petition with 15,000 signatures today to trade negotiators ahead of next week's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation For…

Farms are in a unique position to slow global warming by reducing methane emissions, which are more than 80 times more potent at trapping heat in the atmosphere than CO2. (Adobe Stock)

Removing barriers and making space for next generation farmers

As Congress drafts the next Farm Bill, the National Young Farmers Coalition is calling on lawmakers to tackle climate disruptions and racial equity …

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PNS Daily Newscast - December 8, 2023

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Climate Change

Some SD farmers unhappy with industrial ag getting conservation funds

Heavy-duty trucks: Rolling toward electric power?

Misinformation slows CT’s new emission standards

New project weaves in older populations in responding to climate threats

Research project aims to make climate adaptation age-inclusive

Backers of offshore wind tout good jobs, fossil fuel independence

New EPA rule expected to affect Texas oil industry emissions

New heat-pump technology helps Maine reduce oil use, reach climate goals

Report: New York won’t meet its 2030 climate goals

Environmental justice and Xcel plans for new fossil fuel power plants

State skips climate-change grants, Iowa cities reap $3 million instead

NASA grant funds study on impact of farming techniques on greenhouse gases

Decades-long effort yields protections for dwindling wolverine population

PA schools could soon be powered by sun as solar bill advances to Senate

Indy, Bloomington recognized for environmental action plans

Using federal incentives, rural electric co-ops make clean 'power grab'

As climate change conference opens, one CA city takes action

Will big oil companies cover climate change costs in NY?

Public and private sectors discuss AZ's clean energy economy

VA environmentalists frustrated by FERC-approved pipeline extension

New plan outlines ways to conserve VA’s coastal wetlands

MO duck-hunting season portends a grim future

Wetlands ruling worries MI duck hunters

EV companies call for building heavy-duty vehicle infrastructure

Heat crisis in FL prisons: Lawmakers urged to add air conditioning

Sweeping clean energy bills passed in Michigan

A focus on Inflation Reduction Act climate investments for NV

IRA investments crucial for clean energy, national security

Young NY farmers want Congress to help them withstand climate change

KY utility regulators' 'mixed' decision on LG&E proposal

ME towns share plans, resources to build climate resilience

Inflation Reduction Act will improve national security, vet group says

Research links climate-change impacts to depression in high schoolers

A New Mexico endangered species outside the cultural norm

Elected officials: Inflation Reduction Act investments will aid national security

Highway changes could make Hartford a walkable city

Can white paint be a part of the solution to combat climate change?

MO family farmers: Inflation Reduction Act funds not for factory farms

NV group celebrates environmental wins, looks ahead to 2024

Southern CA ports lead the way for 'green' shipping

SOAR aims to conserve open space, military readiness

Renewable energy fuels major economic payoffs in rural Indiana

WA cap-and-trade spending falls short for frontline communities

MN project takes on energy reliability, affordability balancing act

Environmental coalition to match Latino community groups with federal grants

Report: Climate change to cost MT jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars

Activists petition world leaders for climate action at CA trade summit

Removing barriers and making space for next generation farmers