ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE
Central Park Conservancy Gala raises over $1.2 million under a celestial theme
On November 20, the Central Park Conservancy Gala welcomed over 400 guests for a magical evening nestled in the heart of Manhattan. Thanks to unusually warm weather and the stunning backdrop of vibrant autumn leaves, attendees enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the park before making their way to the event’s elegant tent at Rumsey Playfield near 72nd Street.
Under the leadership of Betsy Smith, president and CEO of the Conservancy, and co-chairs Evelyn and David McCabe, Melanie and Matthew McLennan, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, and Mo Sakurai and Harry Taylor, this year’s gala embraced the enchanting theme: Fortune’s Fête. The night was filled with celestial and mystical purples, showcasing decor inspired by astrology and interactive experiences that captivated the attendees. Guests savored delightful touches like dessert shaped like crystal balls that revealed delicious chocolate cake inside, while many lined up for palm readings, eager to catch a glimpse of their fortunes in love, luck, and success.
Harry Winston, Inc. sponsored the evening, and the gala raised over $1.2 million to further the Conservancy’s mission of preserving Central Park as a peaceful haven. “The Fall Gala is an opportunity to celebrate the bond Central Park creates within our city,” said Smith. “It’s a night to appreciate this treasure that enriches many lives. Our many patrons under tonight’s tent are our honorees, and we thank you!”
After enjoying a delightful dinner and cocktails courtesy of William Grant & Sons, the Young Associates stepped into the spotlight with an exhilarating dessert-and-dance party, co-chaired by Zachary Weiss and others. The evening wrapped up with an exclusive after-party at the stylish Casa Tua, located in The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel. Guests left…
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Stratcom Commander Discusses Nuclear System Modernization
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Paralyzed Veterans of America Applauds House Passage of Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare Act, Urges Senate Approval
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AmeriCorps Ramps Up Disaster Response in North Carolina and Florida Following Hurricanes Helene and Milton
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, announced today that more than 140 additional AmeriCorps members are deploying to North Carolina and Florida this week in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. These AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team members will join ongoing recovery…
Journey Into Panda Ridge: Panda Camera Launches at the San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo launched its giant panda live camera, enabling people around the globe to virtually connect with Xin Bao and Yun Chuan. Viewers can enter their world and marvel as the pandas tumble, climb, explore, nap, and munch on bamboo across their dynamic habitats.
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Virginia Guard Supports Milton Response in Florida
The Virginia National Guard is helping Florida respond to Hurricane Milton while it winds down its support for victims of Hurricane Helene in Virginia.
The VNG sent a Black Hawk helicopter to Florida and is mustering approximately 225 Soldiers and Airmen to provide engineer, transportation and general support capabilities.
“I really…
U.S. Army Reserve Unit Assists in Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts in North Carolina
Hurricane Helene made landfall along Florida’s coastal bend as a powerful Category 4 storm before weakening to a tropical storm and continuing northward into Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The storm brought severe flooding, strong winds, and widespread power outages, leaving many communities in dire need of assistance.
The 357th…
U.S. Department of Energy to award up to $1.2 billion to deliver low carbon hydrogen and benefits to Texas and Gulf Coast communities
The HyVelocity Hub has executed a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) to receive up to $1.2 billion in federal funding to build and expand low-carbon hydrogen and hydrogen infrastructure across Texas and the Gulf Coast.
Kicking off with about $22 million in the first tranche of federal funding, HyVelocity could create up to 45,000 jobs over its lifetime and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to seven million metric tons per year. This transformative federal investment will expand Gulf Coast energy resources, ensuring energy security and the benefits of clean hydrogen and high-quality jobs for communities.
HyVelocity aims to become the largest hydrogen hub in the nation. With its leaders contributing decades of experience and competency in low-carbon energy deployment, HyVelocity is positioned to catalyze production and delivery of hydrogen across the value chain, and create real, meaningful impacts for communities. The hub will leverage the Gulf Coast region’s high concentration of existing hydrogen production and end-use assets to develop clean hydrogen that can power fuel cell electric trucks, industrial process, ammonia production, refining and petrochemical production, and marine shipping fuel.
This award follows HyVelocity’s selection last October as one…
Elephant seal colony declines one year after avian flu outbreak
The sounds of barking elephant seals are again in the air along the breeding grounds of Península Valdés, Argentina—but it’s quieter. Almost exactly a year after a massive outbreak of H5N1, highly pathogenic avian influenza killed more than 17,000 elephant seals, including about 97% of their pups, scientists estimate that only about a third of the elephant seals normally expected here returned.
“It’s beautiful to walk the beaches now and hear elephant seals again,” said Marcela Uhart, director of the Latin America Program at the UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center within the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “At the same time, we’re walking among piles of carcasses and bones, and seeing very few elephant seal harems, so it’s still disturbing.”
A study published in the journal Nature Communications and co-led by UC Davis and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina provides evidence of mammal-to-mammal transmission during the 2023 outbreak. It found that H5N1 spread efficiently among marine mammals. The outbreak in elephant seals was a stepping stone amid the first transnational spread of the virus in these species, extending across five countries in southern South America.
The study’s genomic analysis further found that, upon…
New Data Science Tool Speeds Up Molecular Analysis of Environment
A research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has developed a computational workflow for analyzing large data sets in the field of metabolomics, the study of small molecules found within cells, biofluids, tissues, and entire ecosystems.
Most recently, the team applied this new computational tool to…
Discovery About Ice Layer Formation in Ice Sheets Can Improve Sea Level Rise Predictions
A newly discovered mechanism for the flow and freezing of ice sheet meltwater could improve estimates of sea level rise around the globe.
Researchers from The University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) have found…
Alternative Proteins: Essential for Restoring Nature in the US and Beyond
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Mosquito Mating Behavior Reveals Surprising Insights for Malaria Control and Drone Technology
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Holcim US and Detroit Wayne County Port win grant for EPA's Clean Ports program
By Steve Arnett / Newsdesk StaffHolcim, in close partnership with the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority (DWCPA), was awarded a grant through the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Ports program. The joint grant supports the Detroit Port Authority’s broader Zero-Emission Technology Deployment program to accelerate the decarbonization of the port and improve the air quality for residents and workers.
In making this transformation and as one of the selected terminal recipients, partial grant funds have been allocated for the purchase of new electric equipment at the Holcim Detroit Terminal, in addition to a one-acre solar array to charge these vehicles.
“Holcim is honored to have been a trusted partner with the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority in developing a successful application for the EPA’s Clean Ports program,” said Jaime Hill, North America region head for Holcim. “This funding helps us expedite our ability to meet our commitments of lowering our carbon footprint and move our operations here in Detroit into the future and as part of our commitment to a net zero future.”
Our mission to protect the environment directly coincides with the DWCPA’s broader program to decarbonize the entire port of Detroit by cutting air pollution from equipment operating at port terminals and docks. The grant will fund a portion of the acquisition costs of battery-electric forklift trucks, cranes, electric railcar movers, boats and motors, as well as the installation of charging equipment and solar panels in the Port. The multifaceted grant through the DWCPA positively impacts the livelihoods of our workers and local communities by making the critical…
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $15.3 Million to Support New American Climate Corps Projects in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA
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New Research Emphasizes Business Role in Addressing Toxic Pollution and Protecting Human Health
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Environmental Protection Agency funding will reduce tree waste, cut carbon emissions, and build workforce pathways for good-paying jobs
Leaders from the Biden-Harris Administration, the State of Pennsylvania, and municipal agencies gathered in Philadelphia today to announce that PowerCorpsPHL, in collaboration with Landforce in Pittsburgh, has been selected to receive $15.3 million to expand urban forestry, repurpose wood waste from down and dead trees to higher value lumber products, and expand career training opportunities.
This award from the Environmental Protection Agency will fund a cross-sector project in Philadelphia, led by PowerCorpsPHL, in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University, and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.
Today marks the final stop on the American Climate Corps fall tour, which has made 10 stops across the country highlighting the impact American Climate Corps members are already having in communities around the country. The American Climate Corps was launched by President Biden in September 2023 and is a groundbreaking initiative to put a new, diverse generation of young Americans to work fighting the impacts of climate change today while gaining the skills they need to join the growing clean energy and climate-resilience workforce of tomorrow. From Flagstaff to Philadelphia, North Carolina to Michigan, the more than 15,000 American Climate Corps members in the inaugural class of President Biden’s American Climate Corps are already making a…
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New Study Reveals Harmful Effects of Tire-Wear Particles on Aquatic Life
Study Reveals Canadian Wildfires Are Affecting U.S. Air Quality and Raising Health Concerns
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Published in Environmental Science & Technology and to be featured on the cover of the journal’s next issue, the study assessed…
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Coffee beans consumed across the globe come from two species: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora, also known as Robusta (or…
Researchers Track Endangered 26-Foot Whale Shark ‘Rio Lady’ for Record-Breaking 27,000 Miles Over Four Years
A team of researchers at the University of Rhode Island and Nova Southeastern University in Florida have been tracking a 26-foot endangered whale shark – named “Rio Lady” – with a satellite transmitter for more than four years – a record for whale sharks and one of the longest…