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Yet another reason why heat pumps are awesome: health benefits

Switching to heat pumps is one of the most energy-efficient and cost-effective ways to reduce the climate impact of buildings, which account for more than a third of U.S. carbon emissions. It can also save lives by cleaning the air we breathe, according to new research by Rewiring America, a nonprofit that advocates…

Switching to heat pumps is one of the most energy-efficient and cost-effective ways to reduce the climate impact of buildings, which account for more than a third of U.S. carbon emissions. It can also save lives by cleaning the air we breathe, according to new research by Rewiring America, a nonprofit that advocates for home electrification. The group’s latest report explores what would happen to outdoor air pollution if all U.S. homes installed heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and heat pump clothes dryers. Researchers found that replacing oil and gas furnaces would eliminate in-home fossil-fuel combustion that vents pollutants like ammonia, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide into the outside air. Swapping out inefficient electric resistance heaters, meanwhile, would reduce air pollution from fossil-fueled electricity production by minimizing the amount of power that households use. In all, those changes would slash 300,000 tons of fine particulate matter pollution each year, equal to taking 40 million cars off the road — and prevent thousands of deaths. Most people don’t realize that improved air quality is a benefit of home electrification because the connection is less obvious than, say, energy efficiency and utility savings, said lead author and senior research associate Wael Kanj. ​“We have these appliances in our homes, and so we don’t really think about how they’re impacting outdoor air quality,” Kanj said. Using data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the federal Energy Information Administration, Kanj’s team sought to quantify the public health benefits that would result from cleaner air. They found that households would experience 3,400 fewer premature deaths, 1,300 fewer hospital visits, 220,000 fewer asthma attacks, and 670,000 fewer days of missed work and activities each year. Those outcomes would add up to $40 billion worth of annual health improvements. Not all states would experience the same level of health benefits, though. The degree of pollution reduction depends on a wide range of local factors, including population density, as well as how clean the electric grid is and what kind of heating and cooling equipment households already use. In cold Northeast states with dense populations that rely heavily on gas and fuel to heat their homes, for example, switching to heat pumps would have a greater impact than in warmer states like Florida, where electric resistance heating is widespread, the report noted. Another important factor is the clean energy transition. To calculate annual health benefits over the next 15 years — the average lifetime of a heat pump appliance — Rewiring America’s analysis used a grid forecast that assumes a 95 percent decarbonized grid by 2050. In reality, any policy that speeds up or slows down that transition could significantly affect projected health outcomes. Roughly speaking, a faster rate of decarbonization would mean even fewer deaths, hospital visits, and asthma attacks than the group’s modeling.

Climate
Energy
Health

Explore 48 Blue Flag beaches in South Africa this summer

South Africa’s new list of Blue Flag beaches for the 2024/2025 season showcases 48 beautiful beaches to explore over the summer… The post Explore 48 Blue Flag beaches in South Africa this summer appeared first on SA People.

Blue Flag beaches for the 2024/2025 season Each year, the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) releases a list of South African beaches that qualify for Blue Flag status. In total for the 2024 year, 48 beach locations featured on the list. According to WESSA, the iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary eco-labels awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators. The programme uses 33 criteria across four categories to determine whether a beach meets the requirements for recognition. These categories are: Environmental Education and Awareness, Water Quality, Environmental Management and Safety Services.  In addition to the beaches, four marinas and seven tourism boats were also recognised and were awarded the eco-label. Seven sites were awarded Green Coast status – these being community-driven coastal conservation areas of high biodiversity and eco-tourism value that appeal to people seeking adventure and nature-based experiences. This year’s awards also acknowledged the efforts of 18 pilot beaches, highlighting their progress in striving for Blue Flag status. The 48 beaches: Where are they? Western Cape (31 beaches): Silwerstroomstrand Clifton 4th Camps Bay Llandudno Muizenberg Bikini Melkbosstrand Fish Hoek Kleinmond Grotto Struisbaai Witsand Preekstoel Lappiesbaai Jongensfontein Gouritzmond Stilbaai Wes De Bakke Hartenbos Klein Brak Santos Glentana Wilderness Herold’s Bay Victoria Bay Robberg 5 The Waves Nature’s Valley Lookout The Dunes Singing Kettle Eastern Cape (8 beaches) Dolphin Cape St Francis Kings Humewood Hobie Kariega Kelly’s Middle Kent on Sea KwaZulu-Natal (9 beaches) Marina Beach Trafalgar Southport Umzumbe Ramsgate Hibberdene Pennington Blythdale Thompson Bay The post Explore 48 Blue Flag beaches in South Africa this summer appeared first on SA People.

Conservation
Education
Nature

Watchdog warns Defra and Ofwat they could face court over sewage dumping

Environment Agency also served notice after investigation found failures to comply with lawThe government, its water regulator and the Environment Agency could all be taken to court over their failure to tackle sewage dumping in England after a watchdog found failures to comply with the law.An investigation by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) found Ofwat, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency (EA) all failed to stop water companies from discharging sewage into rivers and seas in England when it was not raining heavily. The OEP was set up in 2020 to replace the role the European Union had played in regulating and enforcing environmental law in the UK. Continue reading...

The government, its water regulator and the Environment Agency could all be taken to court over their failure to tackle sewage dumping in England after a watchdog found failures to comply with the law.An investigation by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) found Ofwat, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency (EA) all failed to stop water companies from discharging sewage into rivers and seas in England when it was not raining heavily. The OEP was set up in 2020 to replace the role the European Union had played in regulating and enforcing environmental law in the UK.The law permits water companies to spill sewage only during exceptional circumstances such as extreme weather, but in reality human waste is routinely dumped in waterways even when it is not raining. Sewage is spilled into rivers and seas because in the UK there are combined sewage overflows (CSOs) into which water runoff from roads, sewage from homes and businesses, and “grey water” such as that from baths and washing machines all combine.When this volume becomes too much and risks backing up into people’s homes, it is instead spilled into rivers and the sea. Water companies have failed over the years to update their sewage systems to stop this from happening, and the regulator and government both have legal duties to ensure the companies spill sewage only under extreme circumstances.Helen Venn, the chief regulatory officer at the OEP, said: “The core issue identified in our investigation is the circumstances in which the regulatory system allows untreated sewage discharges to take place. We interpret the law to mean that they should generally be permitted only in exceptional circumstances, such as during unusually heavy rainfall. This is unless an assessment of the CSO concludes that the costs to address the issue would be disproportionate to the benefits gained.“We will decide next steps when we have considered the responses to these decision notices. That could include court action.”The OEP investigation followed the submission of a formal complaint two years ago by the campaign group WildFish.Guy Linley-Adams, the in-house solicitor for WildFish, said: “What the OEP’s announcement has clarified is that much of the storm sewage pollution that is plaguing English rivers would not be occurring had government and regulators done their jobs properly. The Environment Agency must secure compliance with the 1994 regulations, which means it needs urgently to review the unlawful permits it has given to water companies to bring them into line with the law.”Defra, Ofwat and the EA have each been sent a notice by the OEP outlining the findings and saying what steps each needs to take to put matters right. They have two months to respond and confirm whether they will take the steps required; if they do not do so, the watchdog could take them to court.The investigation found Defra failed to comply with the law by drafting guidance for water companies and regulators that did not reflect the true legal extent of their duties not to stop sewage being spilled, and failing to make enforcement orders when waste was being dumped.It also found Ofwat was failing to comply with the law as the regulator was not cracking down hard enough on water companies. The notice served said Ofwat was “failing to take proper account of environmental law with regards to duties on sewerage companies and its duty to make enforcement orders” and “failing to exercise its duty under environmental law to make enforcement orders”.Ofwat is due to announce on Thursday how much water bills can rise by over the five years from next April.The EA failed to comply with environmental law in three different ways, according to the OEP investigation. These include failing to take proper account of environmental law in devising guidance relating to permit conditions, setting permit conditions that were insufficient to comply with environmental laws and failing to exercise permit review functions in relation to discharges from CSOs. This meant the agency was found to be too lax in allowing water companies to spill sewage; they could not do so without a permit issued by the agency and the EA was allowed to review or revoke these if they were being inappropriately used.An EA spokesperson said:“We recognise regulation of the water industry needs to improve, which is why we are transforming our approach with more people, powers and data alongside better training for our staff. This is ensuring we have a water system fit for people and the environment. We’ve also made significant progress in addressing the issues identified by the OEP and are consulting on updates to our permitting approach and regulatory framework for storm overflows.”A spokesperson for Ofwat said: “We are actively taking steps to remedy the issues the OEP has identified. We will continue to prioritise our enforcement investigation into all wastewater companies which started in 2021 to ensure that companies are meeting their environmental obligations.”Defra was also contacted for comment.The government has also announced that water companies will be forced to double compensation for customers who experience tap water outages, sewage floods, boil water notices or low water pressure. Consumers will be automatically paid up to £2,000 under the new scheme.This year, tens of thousands of homes in Brixham were left without clean drinking water after the parasite cryptosporidium was found in the supply. Many were told to boil water before using it for a month. Water companies have been accused of failing to properly compensate those who face these disruptions to their supply and damage from sewage flooding their homes.

Food
Government
Water

Cars in Australian cities are emitting less – but in the regions exhaust emissions are growing

Emissions from city drivers have largely fallen, while emissions from rural and regional drivers have risen.

becauz gao/ShutterstockWithin five years, transport is expected to be Australia’s top source of greenhouse gas emissions. While renewables and storage are bringing down emissions from the electricity sector, emissions from transport are still growing. Our fleet of cars, trucks, diesel trains, planes and ships now emit almost 20% more than they did two decades ago. In car-dependent Australia, switching to electric vehicles will be necessary. This is beginning to happen. Despite recent drops in battery-electric vehicle sales, the hybrid market is growing strongly. But when we drilled down into the transport sector in our research, we found clear differences on emissions between our major cities and some regional areas. Broadly, city drivers are emitting less, while regions are emitting more. Why? There are a number of reasons. City drivers are more likely to take up lower-emitting plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles with zero emissions. Rural and regional drivers drive many more kilometres than city drivers, and the electric charger network is scattered. Affordability is also a key consideration. It’s also only recently that the average range of electric cars and vehicles tipped over 400 kilometres per charge. From January 1, the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard will come into force. One effect will be the arrival of more electric vehicle models and lowering ownership costs. But by itself, this won’t be enough to bridge the city-country gap. We will need policies targeted at making electric vehicles viable in the regions. Without this, we risk failing to meet Australia’s emission cut targets of 43% by 2035 and net zero by 2050. Electric vehicles in the bush are still a relatively rare sight. myphotobank.com.au/Shutterstock What did we find out? In Australia, the overall transition to electric vehicles is proceeding in fits and starts. This year, sales of battery electric vehicles have dropped back, though plug-in hybrid vehicle sales have risen. But cleaner options are being taken up faster in some areas than others. To find out more, we analysed vehicle registration and emissions data across Australia between 2002 and 2020. These data showed the average carbon emissions from new cars bought in capital cities are generally lower than the rest of the state. Across this timeframe, we saw major changes in vehicle emissions by postcode. Unfortunately, we had to limit our study to 2020 due to data availability. This means we could not cover the COVID pandemic and its aftermath in terms of how travel behaviour shifted. While we could not capture the very recent arrival of many more electric vehicle models, we developed projections based on better availability and affordability of electric vehicles. Over our time period, we found significant falls in emissions per vehicle in major cities such as Greater Sydney (24% decline), while vehicle emissions grew in regions such as North Queensland (3.3%), the Northern Territory (about 4%) and southwest Western Australia (5%) between 2002-2020. Why the difference? Here are 3 reasons 1: Suburban drivers are taking up low- and no-emission vehicles faster Australians in the outer suburbs are the most likely to purchase plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles due to better access to charging infrastructure, targeted incentives and a higher awareness of financial and environmental benefits. 2: Rural and regional residents drive more Rural and regional drivers tend to travel longer distances, rely on larger vehicles such as utes and 4WDs and have limited access to electric vehicle charging networks. Affordability and range anxiety are also barriers in these regions. 3. City drivers turn over cars faster Urban residents buy cars more often. This means they progressively replace older cars with newer models, which are often more fuel-efficient. Rural areas have slower turnover of their vehicles, meaning higher emissions cars stay on the roads longer. This is why vehicle emissions in Greater Sydney showed the sharpest decline over the period, aligning with the national trend of lower emissions from new vehicles in metropolitan areas. By contrast, emissions in areas such as North Queensland and the Northern Territory rose, due to a higher dependency on larger vehicles and a lack of charging infrastructure. Australian cars pollute much more than those in Europe. Across 29 European nations, the average is now 107 grams per kilometre (g/km). In 2023, the average emissions intensity for all vehicles on Australian roads was 193 g/km. This includes the large fleet of older, highly emitting vehicles, more efficient newer cars and zero emission vehicles. Of the new cars sold in 2023, the average was 165 g/km. Rural drivers often do long distances in Australia. Chris Bucanac/Shutterstock Zero emissions from transport will take work To track our progress in cutting emissions from vehicles, we need good data. Our research points to the importance of keeping comprehensive, nationwide datasets to track vehicle emissions. These datasets are important because they allow policymakers to focus on specific areas. Our research could be used to tackle the reasons rural and regional Australians are not taking up low or zero emission transport. For instance, electric vehicle chargers could be rolled out in regions where uptake is lowest. Roadshows and information sessions could help people feel more comfortable with a new technology and see how it might work for the distances they drive and the type of roads they drive on. Authorities could also encourage markets for secondhand electric vehicles such as by shifting their fleet to electric, which would increase availability. Tackling the city-country divide in electric vehicles would not only help reduce the cost of living for rural residents, but it would also encourage greater uptake of electric vehicles among city residents, who would feel more confident driving their cars beyond the city limits. Kai Li Lim is the inaugural St Baker Fellow in E-Mobility at UQ Dow Centre. His position is endowed through StB Capital Partners, but he does not receive any income from it or any of its portfolio companies. As part of this project, Kai Li Lim receives funding from AURIN. Anthony Kimpton has received funding from the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN).Jonathan Corcoran receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure NetworkNeil G Sipe has received funding from the Australian Research Council. Renee Zahnow receives funding from The Australian Research Council and AURIN.

Technology

Government has broken the law on sewage - watchdog

The OEP has ruled that it allowed excessive sewage into England's rivers and seas.

The government and regulators have broken the law by being too lenient on water companies that spill sewage, the UK's environment watchdog has found.The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) said sewage releases should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances, such as during unusually heavy rainfall, but that "this has not always been the case".It acknowledged that regulator Ofwat had now taken steps to change the way it implemented the law. The government and the Environment Agency are carefully "considering the allegations" but failure to accept them could result in legal action.Campaigners welcomed the findings but called it a "bittersweet moment". Public anger has increased in recent years over the level of sewage spills which were found to have doubled in 2023. "The OEP's findings offer yet another devastating verdict of the total failure of environmental regulation in our country," said chair and founder of River Action Charles Watson. "It is nothing short of scandalous."Sewage sometimes needs to be released when it is raining to prevent a build-up of wastewater in the system and sewage flowing back into people's homes.But two years ago the wildlife charity WildFish complained to the OEP that the Conservative government, and the regulators - Ofwat and the Environment Agency (EA) - were allowing excessive releases. It argued that according to the law sewage should only be released under "exceptional circumstances", such as unusually heavy rain, rather than any wet weather. Untreated sewage contains chemicals which can be harmful to aquatic life and can lead to a build-up of algae which starves local wildlife of oxygen and produces toxins that are potentially fatal to pets and dangerous to people. And the less rainfall there is to dilute the sewage the more harmful it could potentially be.Nick Measham, CEO at WildFish, told the BBC following the announcement: "We are absolutely delighted and relieved. It actually means we can end this problem of sewage going into rivers."But it is a bittersweet moment. It's frustrating when the government and the regulators don't actually do their job in the way you'd hope."The OEP has acknowledged that Ofwat has now taken steps to change the way it implements the law, and in August Ofwat announced record fines for three water companies.But the government's environment department, Defra, and the Environment Agency are currently consulting on any changes, and have said they would "carefully consider" the OEP's allegations.A Defra spokesperson said: "For too long, water companies have pumped record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. In just five months, this government has acted decisively to refresh outdated guidance to make extremely clear our expectations around storm overflows."On Tuesday Defra also announced that it would be double compensation for customers for service failures such as water outages and pollution.If Defra and the EA decide to accept the finding in full - which they must do by March - it could result in changes to thousands of environmental permits.There would also be a question as to whether water companies' new five-year investment plans - which are due to be announced on Thursday - would be sufficient to upgrade infrastructure to meet these requirements.A spokesperson for WaterUK, the industry body, told the BBC: "While regulators argue among themselves about what they think the rules are, water companies plan to deliver the world's biggest ever programme to end sewage entering rivers. "We await Ofwat's decision on Thursday and hope they give us the green light so we can get on with it."However, if there is any dispute over what the OEP has found then it has said it could apply to the High Court for urgent judicial review.

Government
Chemicals
Waste

Next North Carolina Governor Names 7 Cabinet Secretaries, With 2 Already Current Agency Chiefs

North Carolina Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein has announced several of his Cabinet secretary choices

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein announced his choices for a majority of his Cabinet positions Monday before he takes office next month, with two of the seven revealed department secretaries being holdovers from outgoing Gov. Roy Cooper's administration. The two current secretaries — Reid Wilson and Pamela Cashwell — have been appointed by Stein to lead departments new to them. Other Cabinet appointees include a top lieutenant for Stein while in his current job as attorney general. Stein’s transition office also said the Cabinet will include its first Latino and first Indian American secretaries in Gabe Esparza and Dr. Devdutta Sangvai, respectively.Wilson, at present the Natural and Cultural Resources Department secretary, is set to become the next head of the Department of Environmental Quality. And Cashwell, the current Department of Administration secretary, is Stein's choice to succeed Wilson. Stein, who defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson last month, and his transition leadership team have been working to fill out positions in the next administration. A public inauguration ceremony for the governor and others elected to statewide executive branch positions is set for Jan. 11 in Raleigh. It’s anticipated that Stein will get officially sworn as governor earlier as the new year begins. His Cabinet appointees — likely 11 in all — will be subject to confirmation by the state Senate. Since a 2016 law that laid out the confirmation process, the Senate has rejected only one Cabinet appointee — Dionne Delli-Gatti as environment secretary in 2021. Wilson's long work history includes stints at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, and as national political director for the Sierra Club.Stein picked Sangvai as the Department of Health and Human Services secretary, which in part oversees Medicaid, mental health services and state-run hospitals. Sangvai, a Duke University medical school professor, recently served as Duke Regional Hospital president and is current president of the North Carolina Medical Board, which licenses and disciplines doctors.Esparza, a former U.S. Small Business Administration administrator and previous candidate for state treasurer from Charlotte, is in place to succeed Cashwell leading the Department of Administration. The department oversees many internal business affairs within government, including purchasing and contracting, the state’s motor fleet, and government buildings and property.Leslie Cooley Dismukes, the criminal bureau chief within Stein's state Department of Justice, is the governor-elect's choice to lead the Department of Adult Correction, which includes the state's prisons and probation and parole services. Dismukes was previously a criminal division chief for the U.S. attorney's office for eastern North Carolina. Other Stein Cabinet choices named Monday were McKinley Wooten Jr. leading the Department of Revenue and Jocelyn Mitnaul Mallette leading the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Wooten has had a long state government career and is currently an assistant revenue secretary. Mallette has been a private attorney who graduated from the U.S Air Force Academy and served as an Air Force intelligence officer and prosecutor. Cabinet secretaries yet to be announced include those who would lead the commerce, public safety, information technology and transportation departments. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Photos You Should See - Sept. 2024

Business
Conservation
Government

Carper, Manchin say House Republicans 'walked away' from bipartisan energy talks

A bipartisan effort to speed up the buildout of the nation's energy projects has failed — or at least will not be attached to a stopgap funding bill — say two key lawmakers who were involved with the effort. Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) both said in separate statements Monday that bipartisan...

A bipartisan effort to speed up the buildout of the nation's energy projects has failed — or at least will not be attached to a stopgap funding bill — say two key lawmakers who were involved with the effort. Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) both said in separate statements Monday that bipartisan and bicameral talks were unsuccessful. “It’s a shame that our country is losing this monumental opportunity to advance the commonsense, bipartisan permitting reform bill that has strong support in the United States Senate," Manchin said in a written statement Monday. He blamed House Republican leaders, adding, "By taking permitting off the table for this Congress, Speaker Johnson and House Republican Leadership have done a disservice to the incoming Trump Administration, which ... will now be forced to operate with their hands tied behind their backs when trying to issue permits for all of the types of energy and infrastructure projects our country needs." Carper similarly blamed the House GOP. “Unfortunately, instead of taking real policy wins, House Republicans let their perfect be the enemy of the good,” he said in a Monday afternoon statement. “I’m extremely disappointed that House Republicans walked away from this opportunity,” he added.  For years, Republicans and Democrats have been working to find compromise legislation that they say will enable the nation to build out energy projects more quickly. Republicans have said they want to find a deal in order to build out fossil fuel infrastructure more quickly and shield corporations from having their projects derailed by lawsuits. Democrats who supported an agreement have said they hope to spur a faster buildout of renewable energy and electric power, which they say is key for getting low-carbon energy online. Other Democrats have opposed these policies, saying they will undercut environmental standards and community input — and that they generally oppose a buildout of more fossil fuel infrastructure. Nevertheless, Manchin and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) introduced a bill over the summer that garnered significant bipartisan buy-in in the upper chamber. They had been discussing the bill for months with House leadership. Carper’s statement makes it appear that these discussions weren’t fruitful. But the comments come just days after key Republican negotiator Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) said Friday that discussions were chugging along.  “We made progress and are still at the table working in good faith,” Westerman told The Hill in a statement at the time. “We must get this right and are still working on a handful of issues that could unlock a deal.” An Environment and Public Works Committee aide said that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) killed the permitting talks, however. Johnson’s office over the weekend declined to comment. It, along with other Republican offices, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Carper’s Monday statement.  Reaching a deal would have been a key legacy item for both Carper and Manchin, who are retiring. Manchin has been a particular driving force for permitting reform efforts — making a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on the issue in 2022 as part of his agreement to pass the Democrats’ signature climate, healthcare and tax bill. With its governing trifecta next year, the GOP is eyeing the possibility of passing its own energy bill through a process called reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority to pass the Senate, evading the filibuster. However, it’s not clear whether Republicans would be able to pass any reforms to speed up energy buildout, as these “reconciliation” bills are required to be budgetary in nature. 

Energy
Climate
Nature

Why Has Gold Dazzled So Many Cultures Throughout History?

An exhibition in Brooklyn examines gold's ubiquitous appeal across thousands of years through art, artifacts, paintings, sculptures and fashion

This gold wreath thought to be from Corinth, Greece, dates to the third to second century B.C.E. Brooklyn Museum From ancient Egyptian jewelry to contemporary fashion, gold has been linked to opulence and wealth for millennia. A new exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum is exploring why this particular metal has transfixed so many cultures throughout history and how its meaning has changed over time. Titled “Solid Gold,” the show explores gold’s ubiquitous appeal through art, fashion, film, music and design. “‘Solid Gold’ will transport visitors through the many worlds of gold, its joyful, though at times heartbreaking, histories,” says Matthew Yokobosky, the show’s senior curator, in a statement. “As a museum dedicated to bringing art and people in shared experiences, audiences will find inspiration, opening them to unexplored realms of beauty in their world.” The show opens with a video of the 2018 launch of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, the first spacecraft to fly into the sun’s upper atmosphere. This footage “sets the tone for an expansive, trippy show dedicated to the precious metal the Incas poetically called ‘the tears of the sun,’’’ as Artnet’s Raquel Laneri writes. An installation view of "Solid Gold" at the Brooklyn Museum Paula Abreu Pita The elaborate showcase, which includes items from around the world, is part of the museum’s 200th birthday celebrations. About half of the 500 items in the exhibition come from the Brooklyn Museum’s collections, including historic coins, Greek jewelry, Japanese screens and Renaissance altarpieces. “I based the exhibition checklist on our impressive permanent collection,” Yokobosky tells Vogue’s Christian Allaire. “In reviewing our holdings, nearly 4,000 works are gold or have a gold aspect and span thousands of years, from ancient times to today.” The show’s opening galleries display an impressive array of artifacts that demonstrate the ancient world’s interest in gold, such as a sarcophagus dating to between 945 and 740 B.C.E. decorated with golden pigments—which are meant to mimic gold inlays. A golden ballgown from Balenciaga's haute couture spring/summer 2020 collection © Pari Dukovic / Trunk Archive The exhibition’s ancient artifacts are contrasted with contemporary artworks, films and designs. For instance, pieces of gold facial jewelry made in Panama around the first millennium C.E. are shown alongside examples of grills made in recent decades. As the New York Times’ Aruna D’Souza writes, “This is ultimately a show about fashion.” “Among the highlights are splendid couture gowns from the Blonds, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Hubert de Givenchy, Marc Bohan, Azzedine Alaïa and John Galliano while he was at the helm of Christian Dior,” writes Vogue. Other items on view include a prototype of a necklace made for Elizabeth Taylor to wear in the film Cleopatra (1963) and a variety of Cartier jewels. A Roman bracelet from 379 to 395 C.E. decorated with gold, emeralds, sapphires and glass The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California Museumgoers will also learn about gold’s origins, as well as the consequences connected to its production. Through artworks and artifacts, one section of the exhibition “tells a global story of ecological transformation, environmental impact and the human repercussions that result from the search for this precious metal,” per the statement. Nearby, a display of gold coins explores how currency was used to spread propaganda images of powerful rulers. In addition to gold’s cultural appeal, the exhibition also spotlights the lasting nature of the material itself. When it survives, gold provides researchers and archaeologists a window into the lives of cultures throughout history. “Even though it doesn’t corrode or tarnish, and thus can last a really long time, gold was commonly reused in the ancient world—melted down and shaped into new forms,” writes the Times. “When it endures, it feels a little bit miraculous.” “Solid Gold” is on view at the Brooklyn Museum through July 6, 2025. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Culture
Nature

A new method to detect dehydration in plants

Sensors developed by SMART researchers are capable of detecting pH changes in plant xylem enable farmers to detect drought stress up to 48 hours before visible physical symptoms manifest.

Have you ever wondered if your plants were dry and dehydrated, or if you’re not watering them enough? Farmers and green-fingered enthusiasts alike may soon have a way to find this out in real-time. Over the past decade, researchers have been working on sensors to detect a wide range of chemical compounds, and a critical bottleneck has been developing sensors that can be used within living biological systems. This is all set to change with new sensors by the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) that can detect pH changes in living plants — an indicator of drought stress in plants — and enable the timely detection and management of drought stress before it leads to irreversible yield loss.Researchers from the Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) interdisciplinary research group of SMART, MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, in collaboration with Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and MIT, have pioneered the world’s first covalent organic framework (COF) sensors integrated within silk fibroin (SF) microneedles for in-planta detection of physiological pH changes. This advanced technology can detect a reduction in acidity in plant xylem tissues, providing early warning of drought stress in plants up to 48 hours before traditional methods.Drought — or a lack of water — is a significant stressor that leads to lower yield by affecting key plant metabolic pathways, reducing leaf size, stem extension, and root proliferation. If prolonged, it can eventually cause plants to become discolored, wilt, and die. As agricultural challenges — including those posed by climate change, rising costs, and lack of land space — continue to escalate and adversely affect crop production and yield, farmers are often unable to implement proactive measures or pre-symptomatic diagnosis for early and timely intervention. This underscores the need for improved sensor integration that can facilitate in-vivo assessments and timely interventions in agricultural practices.“This type of sensor can be easily attached to the plant and queried with simple instrumentation. It can therefore bring powerful analyses, like the tools we are developing within DISTAP, into the hands of farmers and researchers alike,” says Professor Michael Strano, co-corresponding author, DiSTAP co-lead principal investigator, and the Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT.SMART’s breakthrough addresses a long-standing challenge for COF-based sensors, which were — until now — unable to interact with biological tissues. COFs are networks of organic molecules or polymers — which contain carbon atoms bonded to elements like hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen — arranged into consistent, crystal-like structures, which change color according to different pH levels. As drought stress can be detected through pH level changes in plant tissues, this novel COF-based sensor allows early detection of drought stress in plants through real-time measuring of pH levels in plant xylem tissues. This method could help farmers optimize crop production and yield amid evolving climate patterns and environmental conditions.“The COF-silk sensors provide an example of new tools that are required to make agriculture more precise in a world that strives to increase global food security under the challenges imposed by climate change, limited resources, and the need to reduce the carbon footprint. The seamless integration between nanosensors and biomaterials enables the effortless measurement of plant fluids’ key parameters, such as pH, that in turn allows us to monitor plant health,” says Professor Benedetto Marelli, co-corresponding author, principal investigator at DiSTAP, and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT.In an open-access paper titled, “Chromatic Covalent Organic Frameworks Enabling In-Vivo Chemical Tomography” recently published in Nature Communications, DiSTAP researchers documented their groundbreaking work, which demonstrated the real-time detection of pH changes in plant tissues. Significantly, this method allows in-vivo 3D mapping of pH levels in plant tissues using only a smartphone camera, offering a minimally invasive approach to exploring previously inaccessible environments compared to slower and more destructive traditional optical methods.DiSTAP researchers designed and synthesized four COF compounds that showcase tunable acid chromism — color changes associated with changing pH levels — with SF microneedles coated with a layer of COF film made of these compounds. In turn, the transparency of SF microneedles and COF film allows in-vivo observation and visualization of pH spatial distributions through changes in the pH-sensitive colors.“Building on our previous work with biodegradable COF-SF films capable of sensing food spoilage, we’ve developed a method to detect pH changes in plant tissues. When used in plants, the COF compounds will transition from dark red to red as the pH increases in the xylem tissues, indicating that the plants are experiencing drought stress and require early intervention to prevent yield loss,” says Song Wang, research scientist at SMART DiSTAP and co-first author.“SF microneedles are robust and can be designed to remain stable even when interfacing with biological tissues. They are also transparent, which allows multidimensional mapping in a minimally invasive manner. Paired with the COF films, farmers now have a precision tool to monitor plant health in real time and better address challenges like drought and improve crop resilience,” says Yangyang Han, senior postdoc at SMART DiSTAP and co-first author.This study sets the foundation for future design and development for COF-SF microneedle-based tomographic chemical imaging of plants with COF-based sensors. Building on this research, DiSTAP researchers will work to advance this innovative technology beyond pH detection, with a focus on sensing a broad spectrum of biologically relevant analytes such as plant hormones and metabolites.The research is conducted by SMART and supported by the National Research Foundation of Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise program.

Agriculture
Chemicals
Climate

EPA likely to slash enforcement if next Trump administration follows Project 2025 recommendations

A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project says such cuts would particularly affect poorer communities and neighborhoods of color, such as those around the Houston Ship Channel.

Energy & Environment A new report from the Environmental Integrity Project says such cuts would particularly affect poorer communities and neighborhoods of color, such as those around the Houston Ship Channel. Andrew Schneider | Posted on December 16, 2024, 1:25 PM (Last Updated: December 16, 2024, 3:23 PM) Federal environmental law enforcement could drop sharply in a second Trump administration. That's the conclusion of a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project. The report finds that EPA enforcement, which had been falling steadily since the George W. Bush administration due to budget cuts, dropped steeply during the first Trump administration and has yet to recover to Obama-era levels. Jen Duggan, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, said that deeper cuts are likely if President-elect Trump follows the recommendations of the Heritage Foundation's policy blueprint known as "Project 2025." Among other measures, Project 2025 recommends the elimination of the EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance and Office of Environmental Justice. The latter has been critical to the Biden administration's efforts to crack down on illegal pollution and health threats in poorer neighborhoods and communities of color. "We are particularly concerned about polluters in the Houston Ship Channel area and in Texas generally," Duggan said, "We don't think those communities would be prioritized for protection in the same way as they have under the Biden administration." Project 2025 also calls for environmental enforcement to be farmed out to states. Duggan says the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is notorious for weak enforcement. "The last time we looked at TCEQ's record of enforcement was in 2023, and we looked at six years' worth of data," Duggan said. "During that six years of time, from 2016 to 2022, there were more than 20,000 incidents in which petrochemical plants released unauthorized air pollution, and only 0.5% of these reported emission events did TCEQ determine to be excessive and require the company to take further action." The report also notes that some of Trump's allies are pushing for the incoming administration to close the EPA's Washington, D.C., headquarters and relocate the agency to Texas, Florida, or another state. "The concern is that this would be a major distraction for the agency employees and also potentially force career, experienced staff to retire or to leave the agency," Duggan said, "which would also have an impact of the ability of the EPA to protect communities from illegal pollution."

Chemicals
Energy
Health

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