Ann Arbor unanimously adopts ambitious roadmap to carbon-neutrality - mlive.com

Something positive in all the ongoing insanity...


"No one is immune to climate change," reads an "Extinction Rebellion" sign in downtown Ann Arbor on June 1, 2020. "Demand action on climate change now."Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News



Ann Arbor unanimously adopts ambitious roadmap to carbon-neutrality - mlive.com

Fossil fuels appear to release far more methane than we thought | Science News for Students

Ice-core measurements suggest most of today’s methane releases are due to human activities

Using fossil fuels releases far more methane — a potent greenhouse gas — than people had thought. Possibly 25 to 40 percent more, new research suggests. The finding could help point toward ways to reduce these climate-warming emissions.

Oil and natural gas plants burn off some methane with “flaring,” as seen here. Gas also escapes into the air via leaky pipes and venting. A new study suggests that methane emissions from fossil fuels have been way underestimated. LANOLAN/ ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Like carbon dioxide, methane is a greenhouse gas. But the impacts of these gases are not the same. Methane warms the atmosphere more than CO2 does. Yet it stays around for only 10 to 20 years. CO2 can linger for hundreds of years. “So the changes we make to our [methane] emissions are going to impact the atmosphere much more quickly,” says Benjamin Hmiel. He’s an atmospheric chemist at the University of Rochester in New York. He worked on the new study.

In the 1900s, coal mining, natural gas and other fossil fuel sources raised methane levels in the atmosphere. Those emissions fell early in this century. However, beginning in 2007, methane began to rise once again. It’s now at a level not seen since the 1980s.

Continue reading at: Fossil fuels appear to release far more methane than we thought | Science News for Students

Steady State - Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

The CASSE position sets the record straight on the conflict between economic growth and environmental protection. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are just three powerful examples. And how will the next generation find jobs when the planet can’t support our overgrown economy? The CASSE position calls for a desirable solution – a steady state economy with stabilized population and consumption – beginning in the wealthiest nations and not with extremist tactics. Join the likes of E. O. Wilson, Jane Goodall, and David Suzuki; fill in the information below to sign the position and support a healthy, sustainable economy.



Continue reading at: Steady State - Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy

EU Plans To Reduce Pesticides By 50%

The European Commission today proposed a plan to transform the European Union’s agricultural system, to make it more sustainable and safer from a health perspective.

The plan includes a target of reducing the use of pesticides by 50% in the next decade. The plan would also reduce sales of antimicrobials for farmed animals by 50%, and the use of fertilizers by 20%, by 2030. The share of organic farming would also be increased by 25% by 2030 - up from the current 8%.

“The coronavirus crisis has shown how vulnerable we all are, and how important it is to restore the balance between human activity and nature,” said EU Vice President Frans Timmermans unveiling the plan.


AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

“Climate change and biodiversity loss are a clear and present danger to humanity. At the heart of the Green Deal the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies point to a new and better balance of nature, food systems and biodiversity; to protect our people's health and well- being, and at the same time to increase the EU's competitiveness and resilience. These strategies are a crucial part of the great transition we are embarking upon.”

Continue reading at: EU Plans To Reduce Pesticides By 50%

100,000 Deaths: Vote Like Your Life Depends On It • BRAVE NEW FOUNDATION

What lifestyle changes will shrink your carbon footprint the most? | Science News

We've all heard countless ways to reduce our emissions. Here are the steps that actually make a difference.


Continue reading at: What lifestyle changes will shrink your carbon footprint the most? | Science News

Bee Abundance and Diversity in Suburban Yards Depends on How Often You Mow

The research team found that while mowing every 3 weeks resulted in as much as 2.5 times more lawn flowers (aka dandelions and clover) and greater diversity of bee species, the abundance of bees was greatest when lawns were mowed every 2 weeks. Further, the researchers documented 93 species of bees with supplemental observations reaching 111 bee species.




Contionuies reading: Northern Research Station