By Brett Aresco, Yahoo Tech from The Cool Down Carbon capture — commonly thought of as the use of technology to remove carbon dioxide from the air — is a hotly debated topic. Though the U.S. Department of Energy committed $131 million to various carbon capture projects, opponents claim that focus on carbon capture …
This National Park Installed ‘Wildlife Crossings’ to Protect Animals from Car Collisions – And the Results were Staggering
By Laurelle Stelle, The Cool Down The project has been so successful that the same model has been adopted in Costa Rica, Argentina, and parts of Asia. The Banff Wildlife Crossings Project in Canada’s Rocky Mountains has dramatically reduced the amount of wildlife being hit by cars on the …
Why a Rare Image of One of Malaysia’s Last Tigers is Giving Conservationists Hope
By Rebecca Cairns, CNN Emmanuel Rondeau has photographed tigers across Asia for the past decade, from the remotest recesses of Siberia to the pristine valleys of Bhutan. But when he set out to photograph the tigers in the ancient rainforests of Malaysia, he had his doubts. “We were really not …
‘Smart’ Trap Trial Raises Hopes American Mink Can Be Driven From UK
By Patrick Barkham, The Guardian Conservation groups target ‘impossible dream’ of eradicating invasive predators after success of East Anglia trial American mink have decimated populations of water voles and other native birds, fish and amphibians in the UK. Photograph: blickwinkel/Alamy American mink – the mustelids escaped from fur farms who have …
The Largest US Dam-Removal Effort to Date has Begun
By Alka Tripathy-Lang, Ars Technica As US dams age, removal is always an option—and it can be done well. Wending its way from the Olympic Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington’s Elwha River is now free. For about century, the Elwha and Gilnes Canyon Dams corralled these …
From Austin to Anchorage, U.S. Cities Opt to Ditch Their Off-Street Parking Minimums
By Lauren Wamsley, NPR The city council in Austin, Texas recently proposed something that could seem like political Kryptonite: getting rid of parking minimums. Those are the rules that dictate how much off-street parking developers must provide — as in, a certain number of spaces for every apartment and business. …
Poland to Halt Logging in 10 of its Most Ancient Forests
By Ajit Niranjan, The Guardian New environment minister says measures – affecting just 1.5% of state-managed woods – are first step to stemming destruction. Bialowieza forest. Poland has repeatedly clashed with European courts over its logging of forests despite pressure from the public to protect woodlands. Photograph: Artur Reszko/EPA Poland’s new …
These ‘Tiny Forests’ are Popping Up in Cities around the Country – and They’re Having a Shocking Effect on Communities
By Leo Collis, The Cool Down Some say the best things come in small packages, and that might be true when it comes to these tiny forests. Around the world, many nations are creating small forests of native plants to encourage biodiversity and to bring a number of benefits to local residents …
State Makes History With its First Offshore Wind Project: ‘The Next Chapter in Our Great History’
By Jeremiah Budin, The Cool Down The exact size and expected energy output of the two plants have yet to be revealed. Louisiana is set to break a clean energy milestone in the United States, launching the first two offshore wind farms in state waters. The projects, known as Cajun Wind and Diamond Offshore …
Can You Make a Wind Farm Out of Wood? Meet the Swedish Start-Up Making Clean Energy Even Greener
By Angela Symons, Euronews This Swedish start-up is making wind towers from wood and slashing CO2 emissions. Wind power is a major piece of the puzzle in decarbonising the grid. But the giant constructions usually rely on carbon-intensive materials like steel. Swedish start-up Modvion is channelling Scandi design to combat …