Photo: Jimmy Woo/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s edition: Portland’s mammoth climate fund drives clean energy projects, PFAS levels drop sharply in wildlife, and Virginia becomes the latest US state to officially outlaw assault weapons.
The city of Portland has been raising money for their Clean Energy Fund over the last seven years and other cities are starting to follow suit. The fund’s mission is to promote racial, social, and climate justice and it has already created a community solar project and established more than 3000 efficient energy retrofits.
Source: NPR
PFAS are a class of at least 16,000 chemicals commonly used to make products resist water, stains and heat. However, they do not naturally break down, and are linked to a range of health issues such as cancer, thyroid disease, kidney problems and decreased immunity. Now, according to a new study, levels of PFAS in northern gannet eggs in Canada fell up to 74% over a 55-year period of study.
Source: The Guardian
Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a law banning certain assault weapons and magazines holding more than 15 rounds. The measure, which takes effect July 1st, makes it a misdemeanour to sell, purchase, manufacture, import, or transfer covered semiautomatic firearms. Violators could face up to 12 months in jail and fines of up to $2,500.
Source: The Trace
An alliance of environmental groups and immigration advocates has welcomed what looks to be the imminent closure of Alligator Alcatraz, the notorious immigration jail in the remote Florida Everglades celebrated by Donald Trump for its harsh conditions.
Source: The Guardian
Hawaii’s Democratic governor signed a first-of-its-kind law aimed at limiting corporate and “dark money” influence in elections following the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling. The measure redefines corporations in a way that bars them from spending on political campaigns.
Source: AP News
Solar power is expected to generate more electricity than coal on Texas’ main power grid for the first time in 2026. Federal projections show the ERCOT grid will receive 78 billion kilowatt-hours from solar this year, compared with 60 billion from coal, as solar development continues to surge while no new coal plants are being built.
Source: Canary Media
A Maine programme is helping struggling fishermen by purchasing locally caught seafood and distributing it free to schools and food banks across the state. Since 2020, the initiative has funded the processing and donation of more than 1 million pounds of fish.
Source: NPR
Fans at Malmö FF’s stadium are helping collect human urine for a project aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuel-based synthetic fertilisers. Organisers hope to gather 1,000 litres per match to create a low-emission alternative to nitrogen fertilisers, which produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the aviation sector.
Source: Euronews
Closures of villages stores is in part fuelling the rural disaffection that has driven many German voters to political extremes. Governments in several regions have stepped in with some 21st-century innovation: stores where people can shop alone after staff have gone, helping vital community hubs survive
Source: The Guardian
After repeated tree-planting attempts failed, conservationists released 500 giant tortoises into a barren part of the Sahara. Five years later, satellite images showed growing patches of vegetation where there had once been only sand.
Source: Indiana Defence Review
