Feed aggregator
US braces for cicadas by the trillion as two broods of periodic insects coincide
The last time Brood XIX and Brood XII emerged from underground at the same time, Thomas Jefferson was president
They look a little like cockroaches and have bulging orange eyes, and trillions of them are about to erupt from the earth in much of the midwestern and eastern United States. The emergence of two groups of cicadas will assemble a chorus of the insects not seen in several hundred years, experts say.
The simultaneous appearance of the two cicada broods – known as Brood XIX and Brood XII – is a rare event, not having occurred since 1803, a year when Thomas Jefferson was US president. “It’s really exciting. I’ve been looking forward to this for many years,” said Catherine Dana, an entomologist who specializes in cicadas at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “For the public, it’s going to be a really special experience.”
Continue reading...Where in the UK can you see Monday's solar eclipse?
One woman’s battle to push Africa’s space race
One woman’s battle to push Africa’s space race
The eclipse's 4-minute window into the Sun's secrets
Labor’s nature positive reforms will force renewable developers to change their thinking
The post Labor’s nature positive reforms will force renewable developers to change their thinking appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Scientists confirm record highs for three most important heat-trapping gases
Global concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide climbed to unseen levels in 2023, underlining climate crisis
The levels of the three most important heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere reached new record highs again last year, US scientists have confirmed, underlining the escalating challenge posed by the climate crisis.
The global concentration of carbon dioxide, the most important and prevalent of the greenhouse gases emitted by human activity, rose to an average of 419 parts per million in the atmosphere in 2023 while methane, a powerful if shorter-lasting greenhouse gas, rose to an average of 1922 parts per billion. Levels of nitrous oxide, the third most significant human-caused warming emission, climbed slightly to 336 parts per billion.
Continue reading...Chart of the Day: Solar overtakes coal in biggest coal state in US
The post Chart of the Day: Solar overtakes coal in biggest coal state in US appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Shower power: Australian bathrooms are wasting energy and increasing your costs
Experts say ‘bare minimum’ building codes and a lack of interest from builders are making Australian bathrooms less energy-efficient
A long shower at the end of the day might be a relaxing escape from reality, but there is a reason to stay alert. Energy efficiency experts say the way Australian bathrooms are being built will drain your wallet – and the environment.
Alan Pears, a senior industry fellow at RMIT who helped develop Australia’s appliance energy star ratings, describes showers as “almost perfectly designed to waste energy and make you feel uncomfortable”. He says bathrooms lack “basic design principles” and are often cold and poorly ventilated, which exacerbates hot water use.
Continue reading...Greta Thunberg detained at The Hague climate demonstration
Climate activist detained after Extinction Rebellion protesters tried to block road near Dutch parliament
Greta Thunberg was detained by police at a demonstration in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
The climate activist was put in a bus by local police along with other protesters who tried to block a major highway into the city on Saturday.
Continue reading...Just 57 producers account for 80% of all fossil fuel and cement emissions since 2016
The post Just 57 producers account for 80% of all fossil fuel and cement emissions since 2016 appeared first on RenewEconomy.
The world's eclipse chasers arrive in North America
New phase of carbon markets to focus on emission cuts rather than offsets
The post New phase of carbon markets to focus on emission cuts rather than offsets appeared first on RenewEconomy.