Scientists are learning the basic building blocks of sperm whale language after years of effort
8 May 2024 - Scientists studying the sperm whales that live around the Caribbean island of Dominica have described for the first time the basic elements of how they might be talking to each other, in an effort that could one day help better protect them. (more)

Using algorithms to decode the complex phonetic alphabet of sperm whales
8 May 2024 - Researchers from the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative) recently used algorithms to decode the 'sperm whale phonetic alphabet,' revealing sophisticated structures in sperm whale communication akin to human phonetics and communication systems in other animal species. (more)

What are sperm whales saying? Researchers find a complex 'alphabet'
8 May 2024 - Sperm whales don't sing in the melodious way humpback whales are known for. Instead, they make clicks in long exchanges that sound like a blend of Morse code and popcorn popping. For decades, scientists have recorded their conversations in the hope of teasing out their patterns. Now, a new study finds that sperm whales have far more nuanced communication than previously thought. (more)

Renewable energy passes 30 percent of world's electricity supply
7 May 2024 - A report on the global power system has found that the world may be on the brink of driving down fossil fuel generation, even as overall demand for electricity continues to rise. Clean electricity has already helped to slow the growth in fossil fuels by almost two-thirds in the past 10 years, according to the report by climate thinktank Ember [headquartered in the UK]. (more)

'I'm a blue whale, I'm here': researchers listen with delight to songs that hint at Antarctic resurgence
6 May 2024 - Centuries of industrial whaling left only a few hundred Antarctic blue whales alive, making it almost impossible to find them in the wild. New research suggests the population may be recovering. Australian scientists and international colleagues spent two decades listening for their distinctive songs and calls, and have found the whales -- the largest animals ever to have lived -- swimming across the Southern Ocean with growing regularity. (more)

To keep whales safe, US Coast Guard launches boat alert system in Seattle
6 May 2024 - The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a pilot program to alert ships to whale sightings in Washington state's Salish Sea. The goal of the agency's 'cetacean desk' is to keep the marine mammals safe from boat strikes and reduce noise in the highly transited inland seawaters by collecting sightings from civilians and mariners. (more)

400,000 'solar balconies' boost German home energy harvesting capacity
5 May 2024 - Plug-in solar systems on balconies are becoming increasingly popular among Germans living in smaller apartments. So far, more than 400,000 such systems have been installed, with over 50,000 units sold in the first quarter of this year alone. (more)

Solar balconies are booming in Germany and you can plug in and install them yourself
4 May 2024 - Solar panels are finding their way onto all sorts of surprising surfaces, and now Central Europeans are beginning to line their balcony rails with them. ...Data acquired by Euronews claims that 400,000 German households have already connected their verandas and balconies to solar panels. (more)

Orangutan in the wild applied medicinal plant to heal its own injury, biologists say
3 May 2024 - When a wild orangutan in Indonesia suffered a painful wound to his cheek, he did something that stunned researchers: He chewed plant leaves known to have pain-relieving and healing properties, rubbed the juice on the open wound -- and then used the leaves as a poultice to cover his injury. (more)

A wild orangutan used a medicinal plant to treat a wound, scientists say
2 May 2024 - An orangutan appeared to treat a wound with medicine from a tropical plant -- the latest example of how some animals attempt to soothe their own ills with remedies found in the wild, scientists reported Thursday [2 May]. ...The orangutan's intriguing behavior was recorded in 2022 by Ulil Azhari, a co-author and field researcher at the Suaq Project in Medan, Indonesia. Photographs show the animal's wound closed within a month without any problems. (more)

US: A second solar project takes off at JFK airport
1 May 2024 - TotalEnergies began construction of an onsite solar-plus-storage system, providing energy to Port Authority and Con Edison, as well as community solar for area residents. TotalEnergies is constructing a 12 MW solar canopy in a long-term parking lot at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York. ...The project is expected to be placed in service in phases during 2025 and 2026. (more)

US: Philadelphia begins powering City Hall and the airport by a solar array 100 miles away
1 May 2024 - Philadelphia has begun pulling large amounts of power for city-owned buildings from a solar array on farmland near Gettysburg. The project, begun nearly six years ago under former Mayor Jim Kenney, started producing electricity specifically for the city a few weeks ago in Adams County after testing was complete. It is expected to provide up to 25. percent of power consumed by municipal buildings, including City Hall, Philadelphia International Airport, and the Water Department. (more)

Bangladesh: Olive ridley turtle breaks 4-year record with 53 percent increase in eggs
30 April 2024 - This year, Bangladesh has seen its highest number of olive ridley turtle eggs, thanks to extensive conservation actions, including building awareness among local people and the vigilance of local conservation groups to ensure favorable conditions for the species. (more)

Paleo diet? Study reveals new insight on what Stone Age humans really ate
30 April 2024 - A long-held stereotype -- one that's influenced modern fad diets -- is that ancient humans hunted large animals and chowed down on mammoth steak. But new research on a Paleolithic group called the Iberomaurusians, hunter-gatherers who buried their dead in Taforalt cave in what's now Morocco between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago, is adding to a growing body of evidence that challenges the notion human ancestors predominantly relied on meat, according to a study published Monday [29 April] in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. (more)

US: EPA to ban most uses of chemical linked to dozens of deaths
30 April 2024 - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Tuesday [30 April] that it will ban most uses of methylene chloride, a colorless liquid used for stripping paint, cleaning metal, and even decaffeinating coffee. The chemical has been linked to dozens of deaths and advocates have long called for its ban. (more)

Activist wins Goldman prize for effort to clean up California trucking and railway sectors
29 April 2024 - A grassroots organizer from one of the US's smoggiest communities has been awarded the prestigious Goldman prize for environmental activists, after leading a successful campaign to clean up California's trucking and railway sectors. (more)

India's new solar installations hit 6.2 GW in March
26 April 2024 - Rystad Energy's latest figures show that India's monthly renewable energy installations surged to a record 7.1 GW in March 2024, from the previous record of 3.5 GW, set in March 2022. More than 6.2 GW of the March 2024 total was new solar capacity -- a significant amount, given that the January-December 2023 period saw 7.5 GW of new solar installations. (more)

For the first time in decades, the elusive call of the 'bunyip bird' returns to Tasmania's Lagoon of Islands
24 April 2024 - Experts celebrate discovery of secretive and endangered Australasian bittern in recently restored wetlands. Bitterns are known for their calls, said to mimic the boom of the bunyip, a creature from Aboriginal mythology. People also liken the deep, low-pitched call to that used by deer, bittern expert Geoff Shannon says. (more)

How solar farms benefit bees and butterflies
23 April 2024 - Research shows pollinating insects thrive in solar parks, particularly where a variety of plants are flourishing. Perhaps a surprising finding was that solar parks set among fields where hedgerows and other habitats had been destroyed by farmers were the most beneficial for insects, providing an oasis of food and nectar unobtainable elsewhere. (more)

US: Biden marks Earth Day with $7bn 'solar for all' investment amid week of climate action
22 April 2024 - US President Joe Biden marked Monday's Earth Day by announcing a $7bn investment in solar energy projects nationwide, focusing on disadvantaged communities. (more)

New EPA rule says 218 US chemical plants must reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer
21 April 2024 - More than 200 chemical plants nationwide will be required to reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer under a new rule issued Tuesday [9 April] by the Environmental Protection Agency. ...The action updates several regulations on chemical plant emissions that have not been tightened in nearly two decades. (more)

5 trailblazers will be featured on U.S. quarters to celebrate women throughout history
20 April 2024 - This year the United States Mint will continue to celebrate various female figures throughout history by placing them on one side of the U.S. quarter. From Civil War era surgeon Dr. Mary Edwards Walker to salsa sensation Celia Cruz, this year will highlight impactful representations of women who have played significant roles in enacting positive change. ...These coins are 'pocket portraits' that can inspire people to continue making a positive impact in their communities. (more)

New EPA rules for about 200 US chemical manufacturers take aim at 'cancer alleys'
20 April 2024 - The US Environmental Protection Agency issued new rules on Tuesday [9 April] to protect neighborhoods near more than 200 manufacturing facilities that release airborne toxins such as ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, vinyl chloride, 1,3 butadiene and ethylene dichloride. (more)

Colossal prehistoric snake discovered in India
19 April 2024 - A giant prehistoric snake longer than a school bus slithered around what is now India 47 million years ago, according to new research. The extinct snake may have been one of the largest to have ever lived, dwarfing present-day anacondas and pythons that can grow to about 6 meters (20 feet). The colossal creature's scientific name is Vasuki indicus, after the mythical serpent around the neck of Hindu deity Lord Shiva and the country of its discovery. (more)