cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1136332 > >- Maine recently joined a growing list of states suing chemical manufacturers over toxic “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, claiming significant harm to residents and natural resources. > >- An estimated 64 million people across the U.S. are affected by drinking water contaminated with the chemicals. > >- 3M faces a bellwether trial over PFAS, set to begin Monday, that could set the tone for future lawsuits.-

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/1135621 > >Natural gas’s dominance as power-plant fuel in the US is fading fast as the cost of electricity generated by wind farms and solar projects tumbles, according to Guggenheim Securities. > > >Utility-scale solar is now about a third cheaper than gas-fired power, while onshore wind is about 44% less expensive, Guggenheim analysts led by Shahriar Pourreza said Monday in a note to clients.

*In the latter case, that of rooftop solar panels, the impact is twofold: they add supply by injecting their surpluses into the grid and reduce demand when there is sunshine.*

Hello everybody! I'm a student living and studying in south Italy. As you might already know, there have been a few protests made by Ultima Generazione (Brutally translated: Last Generation) which have been object of debate and disputes (and mostly critiques) I'm afraid that Italian politicians are now exploiting these protests to indoctrinate people into hating environmentalism. In my personal experience, I've seen plenty of people who used to support environmentalist protests starting to, I wouldn't say hate, but at least distancing themselves from the environmentalist cause (regardless of the age) **Know here's the question**: Have there been similar protests in your country? What about the reaction of the media and the public? EDIT: i put a random pic of [Fridays for Future ](https://mastodon.uno/@fffitalia/110395757101828937)and Extintion Rebellion militants helping against the flood in Emilia Romagna

As car engines are getting cleaner and tyres wider and softer, pollution from tyres is already as high as pollution from engines. But: > Levels of nitrogen oxides, byproducts of burning gasoline and diesel that cause smog, asthma and other ailments, have fallen sharply as electric vehicle ownership has risen. > But there is still a problem where the rubber meets the road. Oslo’s air has unhealthy levels of microscopic particles generated partly by the abrasion of tires and asphalt. Electric vehicles, which account for about one-third of the registered vehicles in the city but a higher proportion of traffic, may even aggravate that problem. > “They’re really a lot heavier than internal combustion engine cars, and that means that they are causing more abrasion,” said Mr. Wolf, who, like many Oslo residents, prefers to get around by bicycle.

Recycling in the US (and many Western countries, for that matter) is a sham. It always was. In reality, most of the plastic placed in recycling bins were never turned into new products. Now China has stopped taking that waste, the myth of near infinite consumption without the guilt of waste has been exposed for the lie that it always was. That's not to say that we shouldn't aim for a sustainable circular economy. Of course we should. But we'll need much bigger changes to make it happen. "For decades, we were sending the bulk of our recycling to China—tons and tons of it, sent over on ships... But last year, the country restricted imports of certain recyclables... Waste-management companies are telling [municipalities] there is no longer a market for their recycling. "These municipalities have two choices: pay much higher rates to get rid of recycling, or throw it all away. "Most are choosing the latter. "When [its kerbside recycling] program launched, Franklin [in New Hampshire] could break even on recycling by selling it for $6 a ton. Now the transfer station is charging the town $125 a ton to recycle, or $68 a ton to incinerate. "This end of recycling comes at a time when the US is creating more waste than ever. In 2015, the most recent year for which national data are available, America generated 262.4 million tons of waste, up 4.5% from 2010 and 60% from 1985." [https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/china-has-stopped-accepting-our-trash/584131/](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/03/china-has-stopped-accepting-our-trash/584131/) [\#Recycling](https://aus.social/tags/Recycling) [#CircularEconomy](https://aus.social/tags/CircularEconomy) [#Politics](https://aus.social/tags/Politics) [@green](https://lemmy.ml/c/green) [#ClimateChange](https://aus.social/tags/ClimateChange) [#Environment](https://aus.social/tags/Environment)

What do you think of this? I don't think that this guy is particularly trustworthy, but I think it's good when large public figures have such clear pro climate messages.

This plant caused the French company who helped building it, to go bankrupt. Gen 3 nuclear plants looks very expensive to build then. However these kind of plants do not produce any side-product which is good for producing bombs or other radioactive weapon. They have no military support then (and maybe neither government?), compared to gen 2. [https://www.wiseinternational.org/nuclear-monitor/818/french-nuclear-giant-areva-melts-down](https://www.wiseinternational.org/nuclear-monitor/818/french-nuclear-giant-areva-melts-down)

What would be a great alternative or replacement to fix this problem?

An new analysis by ActionAid highlights Norwegian Oil Fund’s exposure in coal-expanding nations like Japan and China, the two countries that have so far been ignoring the UN’s call for a total coal phase-out. Earlier this month the fund’s Chief Governance and Compliance Officer was quoted by media saying “we have sold out of coal”.

Local Chinese governments in energy-hungry Chinese provinces approved at least 20.45 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired power in the first three months of 2023, according to Greenpeace. The jump in approvals has fuelled concerns that China will backtrack on its goals for its emissions to peak between 2026 and 2030 and to become carbon neutral by 2060.

Here's a look into the bold changes that cities made to road space allocation during the pandemic. In this thought-provoking video, Dr Tabitha Combs ([@DrTCombs](https://transportation.social/@DrTCombs) ) from the University of North Carolina examines how communities responded to the changing demands for mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic. [https://urbanists.video/w/5FgLJv6aRz3YHSkgv6WJa3](https://urbanists.video/w/5FgLJv6aRz3YHSkgv6WJa3) [\#urbanism](https://aus.social/tags/urbanism) [#UrbanPlanning](https://aus.social/tags/UrbanPlanning) [@green](https://lemmy.ml/c/green) [@fuck\_cars](https://lemmy.ml/c/fuck_cars) [#roads](https://aus.social/tags/roads) [#transport](https://aus.social/tags/transport) [#planning](https://aus.social/tags/planning) [#walkability](https://aus.social/tags/walkability) [#walking](https://aus.social/tags/walking) [@video](https://urbanists.social/@video)

Researchers say these miners-turned-creators are encouraging the growth of illegal mining settlements, bringing them into conflict with indigenous peoples and causing damage to the local environment.

Is your super money being invested into oil and gas? "Australia’s 15 largest super funds have invested a total of more than $25 billion into new and expanding coal, oil and gas projects, according to an analysis from The Australian Conservation Foundation. "One of the biggest offenders, AustralianSuper, had almost $10 billion invested in fossil fuel operations at the end of December 2022, the report finds." [https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-super-funds-sink-25-billion-into-coal-oil-and-gas/](https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-super-funds-sink-25-billion-into-coal-oil-and-gas/) [\#finance](https://aus.social/tags/finance) [#business](https://aus.social/tags/business) [#superannuation](https://aus.social/tags/superannuation) [#AusBiz](https://aus.social/tags/AusBiz) [#AusPol](https://aus.social/tags/AusPol) [#AustralianSuper](https://aus.social/tags/AustralianSuper) [#ClimateChange](https://aus.social/tags/ClimateChange) [#ClimateCrisis](https://aus.social/tags/ClimateCrisis) [@green](https://lemmy.ml/c/green) [@australia](https://lemmy.ml/c/australia)