Hacker News with Generative AI: Environment

Exploring the Cost and Feasibility of Battery-Electric Ships (newscenter.lbl.gov)
Retrofitting a portion of the US shipping fleet from internal combustion engines to battery-electric systems could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be largely cost effective by 2035, according to a new study from Berkeley Lab researchers recently published in Nature Energy.
Environment, Shipping, Energy, Sustainability, Cost Analysis
29 points by gnabgib 14 hours ago | 60 comments
The Northeast is becoming fire country (newyorker.com)
Throughout the night of November 8th, my sleep was pierced by the smell of a burning forest.
Climate Change, Environment, Wildfires, New York
45 points by gregorymichael 14 hours ago | 47 comments
'A little dirty': inside the secret world of McKinsey (theguardian.com)
Interviews and analysis of court documents show how the world’s most prestigious consulting firm quietly helps fuel the climate crisis
Consulting, Climate Change, Business, Investigations, Environment
5 points by tosh 17 hours ago | 0 comments
'The sixth great extinction is happening', conservation expert warns (bbc.com)
“We’re in the midst of the sixth great extinction,” Dr Goodall tells me during our interview for BBC Radio 4’s Inside Science. “The more we can do to restore nature and protect existing forests, the better.”
Conservation, Extinction, Environment, Science
8 points by Brajeshwar 3 days ago | 1 comments
'The sixth great extinction is happening', conservation expert warns (bbc.com)
“We’re in the midst of the sixth great extinction,” Dr Goodall tells me during our interview for BBC Radio 4’s Inside Science. “The more we can do to restore nature and protect existing forests, the better.”
Conservation, Extinction, Climate Change, Environment
3 points by austinallegro 3 days ago | 1 comments
'In cities, trees are treated like street furniture' (elpais.com)
Environmental activist and tree expert. That’s how Peter Wohlleben, 60, defines himself today. He no longer calls himself a forester, for a simple reason: “I no longer manage forests. I don’t have time,” he explains during a Zoom interview from his home in Hümmel, a small town an hour from the city of Cologne, Germany.
Urban Planning, Environment, Sustainability, Germany
18 points by PaulHoule 3 days ago | 2 comments
Chemist Identifies Mystery 'Blobs' Washing Up in Newfoundland (nytimes.com)
A chemist in Canada says he has identified “with a high degree of confidence” the strange blobs that started washing up on Newfoundland’s shores months ago, although the Canadian authorities said they were still looking into it.
Chemistry, Biology, Canada, Mystery, Environment
73 points by mykowebhn 5 days ago | 28 comments
When the U.S. Forest Service's budget shrinks, who pumps campground toilets? (marketplace.org)
Taking care of a national forest might seem like a job that involves beautiful mountain vistas and days spent on scenic trails, but sometimes the reality is a little different.
Government Funding, Environment, Public Services
31 points by greenie_beans 6 days ago | 32 comments
'Fossil Fuels Are Still Winning': Global Emissions Head for a Record (nytimes.com)
One year after world leaders made a splashy promise to shift away from fossil fuels, countries are burning more oil, natural gas and coal than ever before, researchers said this week.
Climate Change, Fossil Fuels, Energy, Environment, Global Warming
7 points by laurex 8 days ago | 0 comments
Shell wins landmark climate case against green groups in Dutch appeal (bbc.co.uk)
Oil giant Shell has won a landmark case in the Dutch courts, overturning an earlier ruling requiring it to cut its carbon emissions by 45%.
Climate Change, Law, Energy, Business, Environment
5 points by pxeger1 9 days ago | 0 comments
Plastic-eating insect discovered in Kenya (theconversation.com)
There’s been an exciting new discovery in the fight against plastic pollution: mealworm larvae that are capable of consuming polystyrene. They join the ranks of a small group of insects that have been found to be capable of breaking the polluting plastic down, though this is the first time that an insect species native to Africa has been found to do this.
Environment, Science, Insects, Kenya
12 points by thunderbong 9 days ago | 3 comments
UK: Will new battery-powered trains replace diesel, and are they safe? (bbc.co.uk)
Soon battery-powered trains could be coming to a station near you.
Transportation, Trains, Technology, Environment, Safety
10 points by zeristor 10 days ago | 7 comments
How dangerous is Africa's explosive Lake Kivu? (nature.com)
An unusual lake in central Africa could one day release a vast cloud of greenhouse gases that suffocates millions of people. But it’s not clear whether the threat is getting worse.
Africa, Environment, Climate Change, Natural Disasters
6 points by dest 10 days ago | 0 comments
California's gas prices to increase 65 cents per gallon with new fuel standards (abc7news.com)
California's gas prices are on the verge of a 65-cent per gallon increase if the California Air Resources Board votes to change fuel standards.
California, Gas Prices, Environment, Policy
34 points by geox 10 days ago | 118 comments
Earth Could Be Alien to Humans by 2500 (2021) (scientificamerican.com)
Unless greenhouse gas emissions drop significantly, warming by 2500 will make the Amazon barren, Iowa tropical and India too hot to live in
Climate Change, Earth, Future, Environment, Human Impact
28 points by benchmarkist 11 days ago | 25 comments
Earth Will Exceed 1.5 Degrees Celsius of Warming This Year (scientificamerican.com)
It is “virtually certain” that 2024 will be the first year to be more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than in the preindustrial era, before heat-trapping fossil fuels began accumulating in the atmosphere, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) announced today.
Climate Change, Global Warming, Science, Environment
36 points by Brajeshwar 12 days ago | 15 comments
Illegal logging footprint in the Amazon expanded by a fifth, report finds (mongabay.com)
Illegal logging in the Amazon jumped by 19% over the past year, according to a new report.
Environment, Amazon Rainforest, Illegal Logging, Deforestation
6 points by PaulHoule 13 days ago | 0 comments
The Weeds Are Winning (technologyreview.com)
Should you ever doubt humanity’s endless creativity, consider the list of ways weed scientists have devised to kill the pesticide-resistant weeds we’ve had a hand in creating: Steam. Lasers. AI. Pulverizing machines. Electrocution. Irradiation. Main’s piece is an engaging and accessible jaunt through the efforts weeds make to live, and the pains we increasingly go to in the name of our kale caesars.
Agriculture, Science, Technology, Environment
101 points by Jimmc414 13 days ago | 137 comments
Earth Will Exceed 1.5 Degrees Celsius of Warming This Year (scientificamerican.com)
It is “virtually certain” that 2024 will be the first year to be more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than in the preindustrial era, before heat-trapping fossil fuels began accumulating in the atmosphere, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) announced today.
Climate Change, Global Warming, Science, Environment
17 points by botanical 13 days ago | 4 comments
This year set to be first to breach 1.5C global warming limit (bbc.com)
It is now "virtually certain" that 2024 - a year punctuated by intense heatwaves and deadly storms - will be the world's warmest on record, according to projections by the European climate service.
Climate Change, Global Warming, Weather, Environment
10 points by reqo 14 days ago | 0 comments
Exposure to phthalate compromises brain function in adult vertebrates (sciencedirect.com)
Phthalates are key additives in many plastic products and among the most frequently used plasticizers.
Science, Health, Environment, Chemistry
139 points by PaulHoule 14 days ago | 59 comments
Meta's plan for nuclear-powered AI data centre thwarted by rare bees (ft.com)
Artificial Intelligence, Data Centers, Sustainability, Environment, Technology
5 points by paulpauper 16 days ago | 1 comments
More states ban PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' in more products (phys.org)
Legislative momentum against PFAS has surged this year, as at least 11 states enacted laws to restrict the use of "forever chemicals" in everyday consumer products or professional firefighting foam.
Environment, Legislation, Consumer Products, Chemicals
4 points by PaulHoule 16 days ago | 0 comments
World’s oldest tree? Genetic analysis traces evolution of iconic Pando forest (nature.com)
DNA samples from one of the world’s largest and oldest plants — a quaking aspen tree (Populus tremuloides) in Utah called Pando — have helped researchers to determine its age and revealed clues about its evolutionary history.
Genetics, Trees, Science, Environment, Evolution
119 points by pseudolus 16 days ago | 57 comments
Artificial light at night significantly correlated for all forms of cancer (nlm.nih.gov)
Artificial light at night (ALAN) has been linked to increased risk of cancers in body sites like the breast and colorectum. However exposure of ALAN as an environmental risk factor and its relation to cancers in humans has never been studied in detail.
Cancer, Health, Science, Artificial Light, Environment
5 points by dexwell 17 days ago | 0 comments
Politicians not ambitious enough to save nature, say scientists (bbc.com)
Scientists say there has been an alarming lack of progress in saving nature as the UN biodiversity summit, COP 16, draws to a close.
Politics, Environment, Science, Biodiversity
10 points by Brajeshwar 18 days ago | 2 comments
Plant CO2 uptake rises by nearly one third in new global estimates (ornl.gov)
Plants the world over are absorbing about 31% more carbon dioxide than previously thought, according to a new assessment developed by scientists.
Climate Change, Environment, Science, Plants, Research
9 points by palmfacehn 18 days ago | 0 comments
'Shocking' microplastic research prompts review (bbc.com)
A water company has said it is reviewing research by an undergraduate that found high levels of microplastics in an Isle of Wight estuary.
Environment, Science, Pollution, Water, Research
7 points by lsllc 18 days ago | 0 comments
Urban green spaces have vital role in cutting heat-related deaths, study finds (theguardian.com)
Green spaces in cities play a vital role in reducing illness and deaths caused by climate breakdown, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind.
Urban Planning, Climate Change, Health, Environment, Public Health
8 points by PaulHoule 18 days ago | 0 comments
Mount Fuji snowless at end of October for first time in 130 years (jpost.com)
Japan's iconic Mount Fuji remains snowless, marking the latest date without a snowcap since records began 130 years ago.
Climate Change, Japan, Weather, Mount Fuji, Environment
12 points by thunderbong 19 days ago | 1 comments