North & Central America

Coal

Share of coal in Australia’s main grid falls below 50% for first time

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The share of coal has remained stubbornly high over the past decade, and still remains at more than 56% over the last 12 months, though down from its peaks of nearly 90% in the early 2000s. But over the past week, in the midst of strong winds across the south of Australia and the continuing growth of rooftop solar, the average share of coal generation in serving native demand on the main grid fell to 49.9%, according to industry observer Geoff Eldridge, of GPE NEMLog.

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Salmon run

Salmon will soon swim freely in the Klamath River for first time in a century once dams are removed

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The largest dam removal project in U.S. history is nearing completion. Crews will use excavators this week to breach rock dams that have been diverting water upstream of two dams that were already almost completely removed, Iron Gate and Copco No. 1. The work will allow the river to flow freely in its historic channel, giving salmon a passageway to key swaths of habitat just in time for the fall Chinook, or king salmon, spawning season.

Salmon will soon swim freely in the Klamath River for first time in a century once dams are removed Read more

France to trial ban on mobile phones at school for children under 15

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France is to trial a ban on mobile phones at school for pupils up to the age of 15, seeking to give children a “digital pause” that, if judged successful, could be rolled out nationwide from January. Just under 200 secondary schools will take part in the experiment that will require youngsters to hand over phones on arrival at reception. It takes the prohibition on the devices further than a 2018 law that banned pupils at primary and secondary schools from using their phones on the premises but allowed them to keep possession of them.

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clean energy concept, photovoltaic panels and wind turbines in the light of the rising sun

Wind and solar energy production in U.S. surpasses coal for the first time in history

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From January through July of this year, wind and solar in the U.S. generated more net electricity than power from coal, according to recent data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Further, wind energy generation alone beat coal energy generation in two consecutive months: March and April. As CleanTechnica reported, wind energy installations produced 45.9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in March and a record high 47.7 GWh in April, compared to the 38.4 GWh in March and 37.2 GWh in April generated by coal-fired power plants.

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Saint Mary Lake

The U.S. national park system gets a $100 million grant, the largest in its history

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The National Park Foundation has received the largest grant in its nearly 60-year history, a $100 million gift from Lilly Endowment Inc. The money will fund four key priorities, including creating opportunities for young people to visit the parks and conserving threatened ecosystems and wildlife. The foundation also plans to use the money to tell a more comprehensive version of U.S. history, including the “experiences of communities whose voices and contributions have not been fully told as a part of the American story.”

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Model lungs

World-first lung cancer vaccine trials launched across seven countries

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Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer death, accounting for about 1.8 million deaths every year. Now experts are testing a new jab that instructs the body to hunt down and kill cancer cells – then prevents them from ever coming back. Known as BNT116 and made by BioNTech, the vaccine is designed to treat non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease. The phase 1 clinical trial, the first human study of BNT116, has launched across 34 research sites in seven countries: the U.K., U.S., Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Turkey.

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Aerial view of modern water cleaning facility at urban wastewater treatment plant. Purification process of removing undesirable chemicals, suspended solids and gases from contaminated liquid

Tofino, B.C., to stop discharging untreated sewage into the ocean

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The District of Tofino has opened its first wastewater treatment plant, with officials calling it a “major milestone” for the community of around 2,500 people. The facility, which took around two years to build, will enable the district to end its decades-long practice of sending raw sewage into the ocean.

Tofino, B.C., to stop discharging untreated sewage into the ocean Read more

Honeycomb

Manuka honey reduces breast cancer cell growth by 84% in preliminary studies

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Manuka honey is produced from the nectar collected by honey bees when they pollinate the mānuka, a species of tea tree indigenous to New Zealand and southeast Australia. Now, preliminary studies by researchers at UCLA have found that this nutraceutical might aid in breast cancer prevention and treatment. The honey-treated mice showed significantly suppressed tumor growth compared to controls. Overall, it inhibited the growth and progression of an established human breast cancer tumor by 84% without affecting healthy cells.

Manuka honey reduces breast cancer cell growth by 84% in preliminary studies Read more

Portrait of native american woman smiling on camera with city park in background - Indigenous girl outdoor

U.S. Federal Communications Commission adopts an alert system for missing Indigenous people

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This new alert code, according to the federal agency, would be similar to the nationwide Amber Alert system and will help law enforcement agencies across the country to issue timely alerts to the public through cellphones, televisions and radios. The new “MEP” alert code is part of the efforts to address disparities in searching for and locating thousands of missing Indigenous persons in the U.S., who are at higher risk of being victims of violence, homicide, and of going missing, the FCC said in a news release.

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MIT naloxone sensor implant

MIT scientists reverse opioid overdoses with ‘Narcan sensor’ implanted under skin

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In 2023, more than 100,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. The most effective way to save someone who has overdosed is to administer a drug called naloxone, but help can’t always reach the person in time. Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a new device to address this problem. The device, about the size of a stick of gum, can be implanted under the skin. When it determines that an overdose has occurred, it rapidly pumps out a dose of naloxone.

MIT scientists reverse opioid overdoses with ‘Narcan sensor’ implanted under skin Read more

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