The new law will allow adults to carry up to 25 grams of cannabis for their own consumption and store up to 50 grams at home. Public consumption will be allowed, so long as it is not within sight of children or near sports facilities. It will also be prohibited in pedestrian zones between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. It is slated to come into effect on April 1.
Germany approves partial legalization of cannabis Read more
Scientists from the University of Surrey in England, working with colleagues at the University of Cambridge, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xidian University, and Zhengzhou University, have developed a flexible perovskite solar panel that use electrodes made of tiny carbon nanotubes. The researchers demonstrated that in addition to producing more energy than traditional solar panels, “the material cost of an all-carbon-electrode-based bifacial PSC is about 70% lower than that of a monofacial device.”
Indian oil refineries have stopped accepting Russian crude oil delivered by tankers operated by Russia’s largest commercial shipping company that has been sanctioned by the U.S., likely as a result of the war on Ukraine. The move deals a significant blow to Russia’s economy as India has emerged as a major importer of Russian crude oil over the past two years.
India stops accepting Russian oil delivered by U.S.-sanctioned tankers Read more
The Assembly called on all Member States and stakeholders “to refrain from or cease the use of artificial intelligence systems that are impossible to operate in compliance with international human rights law or that pose undue risks to the enjoyment of human rights.” The text was “co-sponsored” or backed by more than 120 other Member States. It represents the first time the Assembly has adopted a resolution on regulating the emerging field.
U.N. General Assembly adopts landmark resolution on artificial intelligence Read more
California’s Yurok Tribe, which had 90% of its territory taken from it during the gold rush of the mid-1800s, will be getting a slice of its land back to serve as a new gateway to Redwood national and state parks visited by 1 million people a year. The Yurok will be the first Native people to manage tribal land with the National Park Service under a historic memorandum of understanding signed by the tribe, Redwood national and state parks, and the non-profit Save the Redwoods League.
Yurok Tribe becomes the first to manage land with U.S. National Park Service Read more
In 2023, EVs made up just 7.6% of new car sales in the U.S., according to Kelley Blue Book. The new rule is targeting 35% to 56% for EVs in 2032, and 13% to 36% for plug-in hybrids. By 2032, the new rule is expected to slash passenger car pollution nearly in half from 2026 levels.
Biden administration rolls out new tailpipe rules that will boost EVs and hybrids Read more
Situated just 12 miles from one of the world’s most dangerous borders separating India and Pakistan, Adani Green Energy Ltd.’s gargantuan new park will cover more than 200 square miles once completed. At a cost of about $20 billion USD, it will likely be the world’s biggest renewable park when it is finished in about five years, and should generate enough clean electricity to power 16 million Indian homes.
The share of renewable energy sources in Germany’s total energy consumption grew to 52% in 2023 thanks to the steady expansion of solar and wind power installations in electricity production and an increase in the uptake of renewable heating systems, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has said. Investments in renewable energy jumped markedly, from 22.3 billion euros in 2022 to 36.6 billion euros in the following year.
Renewables provide a majority of energy consumption in Germany for first time ever Read more
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that the U.S. will join 50 others nations worldwide enacting a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year but is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads, and other products. The final rule marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled regulations governing tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture.
U.S. bans last type of asbestos still in use Read more
Researchers—representing institutions such as the universities of Oxford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, and Grenada—surveyed 795 people on the issue, asking about supervised use specifically for treatment and for well-being enhancement. Participants, the report says, “rated the individual’s decision as morally positive in both contexts.” The study is of note because although psilocybin “has shown promise both as a treatment for psychiatric conditions and as a means of improving well-being in healthy individuals,” authors wrote.
