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Plans for a celebrity-backed “hyperscale” data center in rural Utah, so massive that it would consume more than double the state’s current electricity use, have generated an intense public and political backlash in a state where the motto is “industry” and a Republican supermajority tends to be deferential to development.

The project, brought by “Shark Tank” TV personality Kevin O’Leary, would span 40,000 acres, demand 9 gigawatts of power once completed, and raise the state’s carbon emissions by 64 percent, according to estimates. While its water needs remain unknown, the sprawling data center would neighbor the northernmost tip of the shrinking Great Salt Lake, which will likely hit a record-low elevation this year following an unprecedented dry winter.

It could also create a massive heat island capable of devastating the area’s ecology, said Robert Davies, a physics professor at Utah …

Guest Post: Thinking like a prairie – strategies for perennial conservation

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| Sustainability

Editor’s Note: This post is a guest blog authored by Mia Keady, a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Soil & Environmental Sciences at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is part of our ongoing series on USDA staffing. Her research focuses on soil health, land stewardship, and conservation incentives. She’s passionate about finding solutions to environmental degradation and understanding soil processes in response to land management. Mia grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she was first introduced to the prairie. Her work spans grassland ecology, microbial ecology, and conservation biology. She completed her bachelor’s in biology at Nebraska Wesleyan, master’s in biology at George Mason University, and Ph.D. in Environment and Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

‘Conservation requires management’ was a key takeaway from my undergraduate studies; dispelling naive ideas about letting …

Hummingbird Moth Facts: Moths That Look (And Sound) Like Hummingbirds!

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| Wildlife

As they dart from flower to flower in search of nectar, not only do hummingbird moths look like the birds after which they are named, but they also sound like them; the rapid flapping of their wings making a hummingbird–like buzz.

This page contains hummingbird moth facts, pictures and information. First we’ll find out about hummingbird moths in general before turning our attention to the five species of hummingbird moth found in the United States.

Finally, we’ll take a look at the related hummingbird hawk-moth, a species found in Europe (including the UK), Africa and Asia.

Have you seen a hummingbird moth? Report your sighting in the comments section at the bottom of the page!

Page Index

What Is A Hummingbird Moth?
Hummingbird Moth Facts
Identifying A Hummingbird Moth
Hummingbird Moths Found In North America
Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe

…

Beyond solar: Here’s what the clean energy future might look like

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| Pollution

Images of a clean-energy future tend to feature wind turbines and solar panels, iconic symbols of the struggle to halt global warming. But the United States is pursuing a much wider range of solutions to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. Soon, a direct air capture facility, or a carbon capture and storage project, or a clean hydrogen hub could be proposed in a town near you. Maybe one already has. Two recent laws — last year’s bipartisan infrastructure legislation and this year’s Inflation Reduction Act — offer developers billions of dollars to build these kinds of projects.

Experts say these technologies are needed to tackle climate change. They can help cut carbon from hard-to-decarbonize parts of the economy that cannot simply switch over to renewable electricity. But there are very few large-scale examples operating today. To help people visualize what …