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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Alyssa Ochs
The United States Department of the Interior says it's expediting geothermal projects in Nevada to advance energy independence and national security. The announcement could see environmentalists excited by the clean energy source at the center of the news and less than thrilled by the speeding of standard procedures. The department's late-May press release described this action as part of its plan to address what the Trump administration has called a national energy emergency.
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1 week ago | 
yahoo.com | Alyssa Ochs
A potentially lethal group of fungi called Aspergillus could spread worldwide, with the possibility of northerly shifts to parts of Europe, Asia, and the Americas. New research suggests that rising global temperatures may drive the health hazard to previously under-exposed regions. What's happening?
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Alyssa Ochs
Scientists at Columbia University found that ditching your gas stove for an electric induction one will reduce indoor air pollution by over 50%. From the Mailman School of Public Health, the research was published in the Energy Research & Social Science journal. The researchers' pilot project, "Out of Gas, In with Justice," evaluated the benefits of moving from gas to induction in affordable housing residential developments.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Alyssa Ochs
Maryland officials are considering lifting a current ban on fishing for striped bass. However, reopening fishing could impact the species' already-low reproduction rates and threaten its survival in the Chesapeake Bay. As Maryland Matters reported, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is looking to allow striped bass fishing, with restrictions, in April and May.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Alyssa Ochs
So far, the U.S. hurricane season, which began June 1, has been quiet. However, meteorologists have warned the public that delayed storm activity is definitely not a sign that the 2025 hurricane season will be an easy one. As Fox Weather reported, June 20 is the average date of the first significant storm in the Atlantic Ocean. There have been no named storms this year, continuing a pattern of no tropical storms before June 1 for the fourth consecutive year.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Alyssa Ochs
The Oregon Senate passed a bill requiring a landfill notorious for methane leaks to use advanced technology to regulate the pollution it generates. As Oregon Public Broadcasting reported, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 726, and Gov. Tina Kotek is expected to sign it into law. The state bill requires Benton County's Coffin Butte Landfill to invest in technology to monitor its release of methane.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Alyssa Ochs
The Japanese government plans to improve terms and cut costs for offshore wind developers to advance the country's clean energy goals. Japan is working to meet its 2040 offshore wind plan target. This plan aims to reduce the nation's pollution output and enhance national security by using clean energy. As Reuters reported, multiple plans for offshore wind projects in Japan have stalled recently because of rising costs and implementation issues.
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1 week ago | 
yahoo.com | Alyssa Ochs
On May 29, Louisiana's House of Representatives to ban what conspiracy theorists have called "chemtrails," becoming the latest state in the country to advance legislation inspired by a decades-old and disproven myth. The white lines left in the wake of passing aircraft are accurately referred to as contrails and are in fact condensation produced when exhaust meets cool, moist, high-altitude air.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Alyssa Ochs
A local city council in New Zealand is helping restore two rare native plant species so they don't become extinct. As the Wellington Scoop shared, the Hutt City Council is working to ensure the survival of Myosotis petiolata and Celmisia aff. gracilenta "Mangaweka." Myosotis petiolata is a native forget-me-not prone to fungal disease. For the next four years, the council plans to propagate hundreds of new plants of this species each year. Celmisia aff.
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1 week ago | 
thecooldown.com | Alyssa Ochs
West Virginia University researchers have developed a way to extract rare, critical minerals from e-waste. Their goal is to repurpose these useful, in-demand minerals from old electronics to build new technology instead of letting them go to waste in landfills. As Tech Xplore shared, the researchers use electricity and microwave technology to remove difficult-to-extract minerals like gallium, tantalum, and indium from electronics waste.
