Environmental News Bits @envnewsbits.info

Newly updated Environmental Novels LibGuide I recently updated the Environmental Novels LibGuide, a guide to ecofiction for early readers through adults. It includes links to general fiction, anthologies, and genre fiction, as well as literary criticism, trends, and environmental book awards. Picture books are not included in the main guide, although there are links to bibliographies and awards lists that feature them. This guide was originally an annotated bibliography compiled by Lauren Bordson Dodge, a practicum student from the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Newly updated Environmental Novels LibGuide

I recently updated the Environmental Novels LibGuide, a guide to ecofiction for early readers through adults. It includes links to general fiction, anthologies, and genre fiction, as well as literary criticism, trends, and environmental book awards.…

16.07.2025 13:57 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The role of hydrogen in decarbonizing U.S. industry: A review Zhu, Y., Keoleian, G. A., & Cooper, D. R. (2025). The role of hydrogen in decarbonizing U.S. industry: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 214, 115392. Abstract There is a growing interest in hydrogen for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries. However, determining which industries to target, the scale of the opportunity, and how to meet the hydrogen demand out to 2050 is complex and highly uncertain.

The role of hydrogen in decarbonizing U.S. industry: A review

Zhu, Y., Keoleian, G. A., & Cooper, D. R. (2025). The role of hydrogen in decarbonizing U.S. industry: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 214, 115392. Abstract There is a growing interest in hydrogen for decarbonizing…

16.07.2025 13:56 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Building with Biomass: A New American Harvest Download the report. What if we could effectively store millions of tons of carbon in a way that helps solve America’s housing crisis, creates jobs, and boosts manufacturing — all at once? This report sheds new light on a powerful and cross-cutting solution: manufacturing building products from upcycled biomass that’s already abundant across the United States. RMI’s analysis investigates into the multiple benefits of converting the 400 million tons of underutilized biomass from farms, forests, and landfills into valuable building materials.

Building with Biomass: A New American Harvest

Download the report. What if we could effectively store millions of tons of carbon in a way that helps solve America’s housing crisis, creates jobs, and boosts manufacturing — all at once? This report sheds new light on a powerful and cross-cutting…

16.07.2025 13:54 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Inside Gucci parent Kering’s ambitious plan to reduce water-related business risks Read the full story at Trellis. The strategy requires key suppliers — especially tanneries — to set goals to reduce withdrawals and improve the quality of wastewater discharges.

Inside Gucci parent Kering’s ambitious plan to reduce water-related business risks

Read the full story at Trellis. The strategy requires key suppliers — especially tanneries — to set goals to reduce withdrawals and improve the quality of wastewater discharges.

16.07.2025 13:53 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Developed models expand understanding of PFAS bioaccumulation Read the full story from the University of Rhode Island. A recently published article co-authored by STEEP trainee Jennifer Sun, PhD candidate at Harvard University, and STEEP Project 1 Lead Elsie Sunderland, was selected as the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) Research Brief for January 2025. Each month, SRP Research Briefs spotlight some of the most impactful work from grant recipients.

Developed models expand understanding of PFAS bioaccumulation

Read the full story from the University of Rhode Island. A recently published article co-authored by STEEP trainee Jennifer Sun, PhD candidate at Harvard University, and STEEP Project 1 Lead Elsie Sunderland, was selected as the NIEHS…

16.07.2025 13:51 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

AI’s latest field to boost: nature-based solutions Read the full story at Trellis. Canadian start-up veritree, which is using AI to verify results of nature-based projects, closed a $6.5 million Series A funding round last week. The idea is catching on, with some 300 businesses partnered with projects in the process of planting 100 million trees. Carbon removal verification is one of several sustainability challenges ripe for AI.

AI’s latest field to boost: nature-based solutions

Read the full story at Trellis. Canadian start-up veritree, which is using AI to verify results of nature-based projects, closed a $6.5 million Series A funding round last week. The idea is catching on, with some 300 businesses partnered with…

16.07.2025 13:50 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Indigenous-led efforts bolster EPR collection in remote parts of Canada Read the full story at Waste Dive. Providing recycling access in British Columbia isn’t the easiest task, especially because numerous areas of the province — including some First Nations communities — are in remote regions only accessible by barge or dirt road. To manage waste and recycling in these secluded areas, many First Nations communities already work with the Indigenous Zero Waste Technical Advisory Group, which offers waste management training as well as technical support and recycling hauling services.

Indigenous-led efforts bolster EPR collection in remote parts of Canada

Read the full story at Waste Dive. Providing recycling access in British Columbia isn’t the easiest task, especially because numerous areas of the province — including some First Nations communities — are in remote regions…

16.07.2025 13:49 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Federal grantees reckon with loss of ‘generational’ recycling funding under Trump Read the full story at Smart Cities Dive. The Trump administration has injected uncertainty into grant awardees’ ability to access federal funding and canceled certain contracts. It’s forcing recyclers to view the government differently.

Federal grantees reckon with loss of ‘generational’ recycling funding under Trump

Read the full story at Smart Cities Dive. The Trump administration has injected uncertainty into grant awardees’ ability to access federal funding and canceled certain contracts. It’s forcing recyclers to view the…

16.07.2025 13:48 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Strategies to improve open science monitoring: Lessons from France’s OSM initiative Read the full post at The Scholarly Kitchen. Since the launch of the Journal Impact Factor half a century ago in 1975, the bibliometric assessment of research outputs has proven a lasting and important — if flawed — method of quantifying impact. When considering new or non-traditional output forms, trying to ascertain their use through mentions in the literature has been a challenging endeavor.

Strategies to improve open science monitoring: Lessons from France’s OSM initiative

Read the full post at The Scholarly Kitchen. Since the launch of the Journal Impact Factor half a century ago in 1975, the bibliometric assessment of research outputs has proven a lasting and important — if flawed…

16.07.2025 13:46 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Will surge in GLP-1 medications lower food waste? Read the full story at Waste Dive. Consumer food waste patterns are changing as the uptake of GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Ozempic increases, experts in the space say. The drugs, which suppress appetite and shift food consumption behaviors, may lead consumers to purchase and ultimatelywaste less food, said Brian Roe, a professor at the Ohio State University’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics.

Will surge in GLP-1 medications lower food waste?

Read the full story at Waste Dive. Consumer food waste patterns are changing as the uptake of GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Ozempic increases, experts in the space say. The drugs, which suppress appetite and shift food consumption…

16.07.2025 13:45 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Coastal flooding more frequent than previously thought Read the full story from North Carolina State University. Flooding in coastal communities is happening far more often than previously thought, according to a new study. The study also found major flaws with the widely used approach of using marine water level data to capture instances of flooding.

Coastal flooding more frequent than previously thought

Read the full story from North Carolina State University. Flooding in coastal communities is happening far more often than previously thought, according to a new study. The study also found major flaws with the widely used approach of using…

16.07.2025 13:44 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

We asked over 8,700 people in 6 countries to think about future generations in decision-making, and this is what we found Shifting the public’s perspective toward greater concern for future generations could result in more support for climate change policies, among others. Artur Debat/Moment via Getty Images by Stylianos Syropoulos, Arizona State University and Kyle Fiore Law, Arizona State University People often prioritize the well-being of family, friends and neighbors, as they feel a closeness emotionally and share the same temporal context.

We asked over 8,700 people in 6 countries to think about future generations in decision-making, and this is what we found

Shifting the public’s perspective toward greater concern for future generations could result in more support for climate change policies, among others. Artur Debat/Moment via…

16.07.2025 13:41 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Chicago program to light up dark streets is gateway to energy efficiency Read the full story at Canary Media. MECRO outfits porches with LED lights that automatically turn on at dusk, helping residents feel safer — and showing them how to start lowering their energy bills.

Chicago program to light up dark streets is gateway to energy efficiency

Read the full story at Canary Media. MECRO outfits porches with LED lights that automatically turn on at dusk, helping residents feel safer — and showing them how to start lowering their energy bills.

16.07.2025 13:39 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Aimplas leads the SafeReuse project Read the full story at Recycling Today. The European Union’s newly approved packaging and packaging waste regulation (PPWR) sets mandatory targets for the progressive reuse of packaging. However, according to Valencia, Spain-based Aimplas, the Plastics Technology Centre, there currently are no standardized procedures to assess the food safety risks associated with this reuse. In response, Aimplas, is leading the SafeReuse project, which aims to evaluate the risks associated with reusable plastic food packaging when exposed to high temperatures in microwaves and dishwashers.

Aimplas leads the SafeReuse project

Read the full story at Recycling Today. The European Union’s newly approved packaging and packaging waste regulation (PPWR) sets mandatory targets for the progressive reuse of packaging. However, according to Valencia, Spain-based Aimplas, the Plastics…

16.07.2025 13:38 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

US solar manufacturers lag skyrocketing market demand Americans continue to want solar energy. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki by Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, University of Michigan U.S. consumer demand for renewable energy continues to grow, with more solar panel capacity installed in 2024 than in 2023, which saw more than in 2022. But U.S. trade policy is in flux, and high tariffs have been imposed on imported solar panels…

US solar manufacturers lag skyrocketing market demand

Americans continue to want solar energy. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki by Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti, University of Michigan U.S. consumer demand for renewable energy continues to grow, with more solar panel capacity installed in 2024 than in 2023, which saw…

16.07.2025 13:28 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Data center growth and the imperative of economic discipline Read the full story at Utility Dive. Grid access must be treated as a scarce, priced product. That means building markets for interconnection capacity, avoiding socialized costs and ensuring that those who impose system costs bear them.

Data center growth and the imperative of economic discipline

Read the full story at Utility Dive. Grid access must be treated as a scarce, priced product. That means building markets for interconnection capacity, avoiding socialized costs and ensuring that those who impose system costs bear them.

16.07.2025 13:26 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Webinar: Can Dairy Lead the Way? Sustainability Action Plans for Methane Reduction Jul 22, 2025, 10 am CTRegister at Trellis. Food companies have a powerful opportunity to address planet-warming methane emissions from dairy production in their supply chains to help achieve greenhouse gas reduction, build resilience in their operations and supply chains and enhance business value. Methane is about 80x more powerful than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after it’s emitted–and about 10% of methane emissions caused by humans globally come from livestock.

Webinar: Can Dairy Lead the Way? Sustainability Action Plans for Methane Reduction

Jul 22, 2025, 10 am CTRegister at Trellis. Food companies have a powerful opportunity to address planet-warming methane emissions from dairy production in their supply chains to help achieve greenhouse gas…

16.07.2025 13:07 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

A cheat sheet on the GOP budget law and Trump’s latest shot at solar and wind Read the full story at Trellis. Geothermal, clean hydrogen, nuclear and fuel cells still qualify for tax breaks, but anyone wanting to use commercial EV credits must act fast.

A cheat sheet on the GOP budget law and Trump’s latest shot at solar and wind

Read the full story at Trellis. Geothermal, clean hydrogen, nuclear and fuel cells still qualify for tax breaks, but anyone wanting to use commercial EV credits must act fast.

16.07.2025 13:05 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Paper addresses natural history collections’ role in pandemic preparedness Read the full story from the Prairie Research Institute. Natural history collections contain information needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to disease outbreaks that could turn into a pandemic — but they are an underused resource. Dozens of collections and other experts gathered last year to analyze how to change that and their findings were recently published in the journal BioScience.

Paper addresses natural history collections’ role in pandemic preparedness

Read the full story from the Prairie Research Institute. Natural history collections contain information needed to prevent, prepare for, and respond to disease outbreaks that could turn into a pandemic — but they are an…

15.07.2025 13:58 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

‘Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects Read the full story in The Guardian. A new point in history has been reached, entomologists say, as climate-led species’ collapse moves up the food chain even in supposedly protected regions free of pesticides

‘Half the tree of life’: ecologists’ horror as nature reserves are emptied of insects

Read the full story in The Guardian. A new point in history has been reached, entomologists say, as climate-led species’ collapse moves up the food chain even in supposedly protected regions free of pesticides

15.07.2025 13:55 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Boston Metal forges path to commercialization for green steel process Read the full story at Canary Media. Amid industry setbacks and federal funding losses, the company, which makes green steel without burning fossil fuels, has a robust plan for moving ahead.

Boston Metal forges path to commercialization for green steel process

Read the full story at Canary Media. Amid industry setbacks and federal funding losses, the company, which makes green steel without burning fossil fuels, has a robust plan for moving ahead.

15.07.2025 13:36 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Mapping Out How Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Will Change Great Lakes Observations, Modeling, and Forecasting in the Coming Decade Jones, D., Steinschneider, S., Roebber, P., Osborne, S., Fry, L., Mason, L., Vander Woude, A., Phanikumar, M. S., Fox, N., Currie, W. S., Newell, S. S. M., Wang, J., Young, A., Fitzpatrick, L., Hong, Y., Abdelhady, H., Pringle, W. J., Kiledal, E. A., & Gronewold, A. D. (2025). Mapping Out How Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Will Change Great Lakes Observations, Modeling, and Forecasting in the Coming Decade.

Mapping Out How Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Will Change Great Lakes Observations, Modeling, and Forecasting in the Coming Decade

Jones, D., Steinschneider, S., Roebber, P., Osborne, S., Fry, L., Mason, L., Vander Woude, A., Phanikumar, M. S., Fox, N., Currie, W. S., Newell, S. S.…

15.07.2025 13:24 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Work in health care? These 4 strategies can help you cut costs and carbon content Read the full story at Trellis. The health care system is responsible for 8.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and about 5 percent globally. Decarbonization creates value for health care systems by providing huge savings via energy management, transportation optimization, low-emissions clinical care and more. Hospitals and companies can follow a 5-step process to start down a path of decarbonization.

Work in health care? These 4 strategies can help you cut costs and carbon content

Read the full story at Trellis. The health care system is responsible for 8.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and about 5 percent globally. Decarbonization creates value for health care systems by…

15.07.2025 13:23 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Beyond USAID: How to secure funding for sustainability amid a $200 million annual gap Read the full story at Trellis. The dismantling of USAID removed a key source of public co‑investment and risk mitigation that companies relied on for sustainability initiatives in emerging markets. Widespread cuts in foreign assistance budgets compel corporate sustainability teams to embrace blended finance and new collaborations to fund projects that government donors used to co-fund with grants. The decline of grant‑based aid underscores the need for sustainability teams to quantify and articulate the return on sustainable supply chains and inclusive market investments to secure internal resources and external collaborators.

Beyond USAID: How to secure funding for sustainability amid a $200 million annual gap

Read the full story at Trellis. The dismantling of USAID removed a key source of public co‑investment and risk mitigation that companies relied on for sustainability initiatives in emerging markets. Widespread…

15.07.2025 13:19 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

STEEP research collaboration: A review of PFAS in the Arctic Read the full story from the University of Rhode Island. While no factories spew PFAS into the Fram Strait, nor are huge consumer populations flushing PFAS down the drain, researchers still find PFAS in the water, snow, and wildlife. To address this, STEEP director Rainer Lohmann paired with an impressive group of international scientists to detail the current state of science on PFAS in the Arctic.

STEEP research collaboration: A review of PFAS in the Arctic

Read the full story from the University of Rhode Island. While no factories spew PFAS into the Fram Strait, nor are huge consumer populations flushing PFAS down the drain, researchers still find PFAS in the water, snow, and wildlife. To…

15.07.2025 13:15 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Resetting net-zero: What next? Read the full story at ESG Dive. An emerging array of tariffs is set to complicate the economics of low-carbon projects; geopolitical tensions have led many governments to refocus investment on new defense imperatives, perhaps to the detriment of transition spend; and more broadly, energy resilience is dominating national and corporate agendas, meaning natural gas and nuclear are rising to prominence. Net-zero, it seems, is entering a reset. And the data bears that out.

Resetting net-zero: What next?

Read the full story at ESG Dive. An emerging array of tariffs is set to complicate the economics of low-carbon projects; geopolitical tensions have led many governments to refocus investment on new defense imperatives, perhaps to the detriment of transition spend;…

15.07.2025 13:13 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Is a corporate sustainability career right for you? Ask yourself these 6 questions Read the full story at Trellis. Despite the challenging current environment, corporate sustainability can be a rewarding career. To determine if it’s right for you, start by defining your desire impact and evaluate how comfortable you are with change. It’s also critical to understand what skills you have that are transferable and what you may need to upskill on.

Is a corporate sustainability career right for you? Ask yourself these 6 questions

Read the full story at Trellis. Despite the challenging current environment, corporate sustainability can be a rewarding career. To determine if it’s right for you, start by defining your desire impact and evaluate…

15.07.2025 13:12 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

5 ways AI can help streamline sustainability efforts Read the full story at Trellis. AI tools are revolutionizing how sustainability professionals gather data, analyze trends and disclose information. There are numerous reporting areas prime for AI disruption and broader adoption. The energy demand required by AI systems could increase climate impact, so it’s important to consider that potential downside when assessing the impact of AI.

5 ways AI can help streamline sustainability efforts

Read the full story at Trellis. AI tools are revolutionizing how sustainability professionals gather data, analyze trends and disclose information. There are numerous reporting areas prime for AI disruption and broader adoption. The energy…

15.07.2025 13:10 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Young food entrepreneurs are changing the face of rural America Many rural food businesses, like Daily Loaf Bakery in Hamburg, Pa., rely on farmers markets to reach customers. Susan L. Angstadt/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images by Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University Visit just about any downtown on a weekend and you will likely happen upon a farmers market. Or, you might grab lunch from a food truck outside a local brewpub or winery.

Young food entrepreneurs are changing the face of rural America

Many rural food businesses, like Daily Loaf Bakery in Hamburg, Pa., rely on farmers markets to reach customers. Susan L. Angstadt/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images by Dawn Thilmany, Colorado State University Visit just…

15.07.2025 13:05 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Reju prepares to commercially expand its polyester recycling Read the full story at ESG Dive. Reju, a polyester recycling firm, plans to open its first large-scale industrial plant, called “Regeneration Hub One,” in the Chemelot Industrial Park in Sittard, Netherlands, according to a Tuesday press release. The plant is part of a larger plan to expand Reju’s textile waste regeneration at scale, and the project will be subject to a final investment decision by the board of Reju’s parent company, Technip Energies, per the release.

Reju prepares to commercially expand its polyester recycling

Read the full story at ESG Dive. Reju, a polyester recycling firm, plans to open its first large-scale industrial plant, called “Regeneration Hub One,” in the Chemelot Industrial Park in Sittard, Netherlands, according to a Tuesday press…

15.07.2025 13:01 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

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