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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday finalized a rule that will slash the use of a potent climate-warming gas commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners by 85% over the next 15 years, a move that will help halve greenhouse gas emissions this decade. he EPA and White House also announced on Thursday that the administration will take an interagency approach to prevent the illegal trade, production, use, and sale of HFCs and prepare for enforcement actions to punish violations of the law.

Using the chemical signatures found in marine microorganisms, the researchers found that the Arctic Ocean began warming rapidly at the beginning of the last century as warmer and saltier waters flowed in from the Atlantic - a phenomenon called Atlantification - and that this change likely preceded the warming documented by modern instrumental measurements. Since 1900, the ocean temperature has risen by approximately 2 degrees Celsius, while sea ice has retreated and salinity has increased. A number of factors, perhaps some that we still do not understand, make up our complex ecosystem. While climate scientists have made some predictions about what we must do to protect the ecosystem, it is highly likely that we do not understand all of the factors involved, resulting in the recommendations being either too aggressive or too understated.

Six crypto leaders appeared at a House Financial Services Committee hearing that "explored how the government should oversee and improve regulation of the industry." The "general sentiment of the hearing was positive towards the cryptocurrency industry, a dramatic shift from past years. This disposition surprised some, but it reflects an evolving view of the benefits of cryptocurrency technology and the fear that the US is falling behind other countries such as China that have made noticeable progress towards launching a sovereign digital currency." The piece notes that the Senate Banking "has a hearing on stablecoins next Tuesday and it will likely be more skeptical towards this emerging asset class." The witnesses include Alexis Goldstein, Director of Financial Policy, Open Markets Institute; and Professor Hilary J. Allen, American University Washington College of Law.

Australia has lost about 30% of its koalas over the past three years, hit by drought, bushfires and developers cutting down trees

I did not like because I am anti-koala!

Most of what we hear about greenhouse gases is associated with carbon dioxide. This research focused on removal of methane, which would have a higher payback if a deployable solution can be identified. "...removing about three years-worth of human-caused emissions of the potent greenhouse gas would reduce global surface temperatures by approximately 0.21 degrees Celsius while reducing ozone levels enough to prevent roughly 50,000 premature deaths annually." The case for funding this technology is strong - "Removing methane from the atmosphere could reduce temperatures even faster than carbon dioxide removal alone because methane is 81 times more potent in terms of warming the climate over the first 20 years after its release, and about 27 times more potent over a century. Methane removal also improves air quality by decreasing the concentration of tropospheric ozone, exposure to which causes an estimated one million premature deaths annually worldwide due to respiratory illnesses."

'Practically all types of plastic' can be recycled. Currently, the facility can manage four plastic types, but that number will increase to twelve different types. No packaging is incinerated at Site Zero. The facility is operated with renewable energy. There are also plans to cover the building's large flat roof with solar panels.

The state of Massachusetts might become the first to install the first-ever solar-powered roadside sound barrier, Energy News Network reported. It is expected that this innovative pilot project will be able to generate around 800 megawatt-hours of power every single year.

"Researchers at the UAE University (UAEU) have invented a new desalination system that dramatically reduces energy consumption during the desalination process. By developing the new desalination system, scientists in the university's National Water and Energy Center have made an unprecedented scientific advance that has the potential to revolutionize the water desalination industry." They have been granted a US Patent and could potentially start implementation soon. 2025 (H1).

"Canadian utility redirects $2.3B away from expensive 730MW coal to natural gas conversion, Investment will now fund 3.5 GW of affordable wind and solar." This is a positive move towards a "collective conscientiousness for social and environmental factors," by using renewable energy with new construction aimed for completion in 2025 (H1).

"Ford intends to build a "megacampus" covering almost 6 square miles. There it will synthesize batteries from raw materials and build electric pickups of all sizes, the company announced. Electrifying Ford's signature truck line would have a large impact on carbon emissions because the vehicles are sales leaders and consume huge volumes of gasoline and diesel. The largest of the series, the F-750, is a commercial hauler that can weigh more than 18 tons." Is it wise to dump $TSLA and grab $F to hold until 2025 (H1)? Time will tell.