A California tourist managed to poke fun at herself — and even laugh at her crappy predicament — after falling into a pit toilet and becoming trapped during a road trip through Washington's Olympic National Park last week, a recording of her 911 call reveals.
"I can't believe I'm this person," the woman, whose name hasn't been released, told a 911 dispatcher in Jefferson County, Wash. "I'm stuck in a Port-a-Potty."
An ambitious scaling-up of electric vehicle deployment in the U.S. would slash transportation sector emissions, but could paradoxically boost emissions from the electricity sector unless paired with more clean power, a new report warns.
Why it matters: How national, state and local governments implement policies to increase EV adoption while balancing the transition toward renewable energy sources will help determine whether the U.S. can meet its climate goals.
There's a huge gap between the persistence of coal consumption and rapid moves away from the most carbon-heavy fuel needed to keep global climate goals viable.
Driving the news: Fresh data and reporting offer a window into long-term trends, but also recent changes spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine.
Southern California officials on Tuesday declared a water shortage emergency for the first time ever and imposed unprecedented outdoor water usage restrictions on the region's roughly 6 million residents due to the ongoing drought.
Driving the news: After California recorded its driest start to the year on record, residents in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties will be required to restrict outdoor watering to one day a week, per a statement from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), the largest supplier of treated water in the U.S.
An unusually intense spring heat wave is bringing blistering heat to large portions of Pakistan and India, with the potential for monthly records for April to fall this week in some areas.
Why it matters: Millions in this heavily populated region lack access to air conditioning, and could suffer from heat-related illnesses, which can be deadly. In addition, the heat will make outdoor work untenable for portions of the day, slowing construction projects and impacting the economy.
Zeno Power,a developer of advanced power systems that use radioisotopes, has raised a $20 million Series A funding round led by Tribe Capital, the company first told Axios.
Why it matters: The startup is aiming to scale up the production of small-scale nuclear batteries that can power spacecraft and undersea technologies for years.
Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter is being greeted warily by the climate science community.
Why it matters: For scientists and activists, Twitter has long been a place for sharing research ideas and interacting with journalists and the public. It has also helped kindle and sustain the climate activist movement.
The "mass timber" movement is a growing worldwide effort to build high-rises and other buildings out of wood composites rather than steel and concrete, for environmental reasons.
Why it matters: Lightweight, attractive and sturdy, mass timber buildings are considered carbon-friendly alternatives to conventional ones — and some people prefer their warmth, character and texture.
