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Egypt recovers 3 ancient artifacts found in the Netherlands

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The items retrieved include a mummified head from the Hellenistic period, a ceramic funerary figurine dating to Egypt’s New Kingdom era (664-332 B.C.), and part of a wooden tomb bearing an inscription of the goddess Isis from 663-504 B.C., the Egyptian embassy in The Hague said in a statement. The head was found in good condition, showing remnants of teeth and hair. Dutch police and the cultural heritage inspection unit retrieved the figurines and parts of the tomb after determining that they were smuggled out of Egypt.

clean energy concept

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.

Australian employees now have the right to ignore work emails and calls after hours

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The new rule means employees, in most cases, cannot be punished for refusing to read or respond to contacts from their employers outside work hours. Australians worked on average 281 hours of unpaid overtime in 2023, according to a survey last year by the Australia Institute, which estimated the monetary value of the labor at $88 billion USD. The changes add Australia to a group of roughly two dozen countries, mostly in Europe and Latin America, which have similar laws.

Dolphin

Taiwan bans performances by captive wild animals

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Live performances by wild animals held in captivity, including performances by dolphins, tigers, and other non-domesticated mammals, will no longer be permitted in Taiwan under new Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) regulations. The new measures will make Taiwan one of 13 nations outlawing captive animal performances. Companies that hold animals captive for commercial purposes must submit detailed documentation outlining how animals will be housed and displayed.

Aerial view of large solar farm

World’s biggest battery storage project gets underway in Chile

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Financial close has been reached for the first two phases of the world’s largest battery storage project, the Oasis de Atacama in Chile, with 1.24GWh now financed and an eventual 4.1GWh once all five phases are completed. Grenergy expects the completed project will generate electricity equivalent for the needs of 145,000 homes and reduce CO2 emissions by over 146,000 tons.

Good news for LGBTQ rights

China awards visitation rights to gay mom in historic first

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Since China abandoned its one-child policy in 2016 in the face of quickly declining birth rates, the courts are now inclined to protect the rights of children born outside the traditional heterosexual paradigm. Children born to unmarried couples and single and LGBTQ+ parents are experiencing a level of acceptance unknown in China in the past.

Charging an EV

Kenya to acquire 1,000 EVs per year for federal staff

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The Kenyan government’s move to start buying electric vehicles could be good news for companies that are looking assemble or retail electric cars in the country. The announcement just said “vehicles,” and therefore could include electric buses, trucks, and motorcycles as well, which would be a major boost for Kenya’s nascent electric vehicle ecosystem.

Coal-fired power plant

China’s new coal projects plummet by 80% in 2024

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From January through June, Chinese officials permitted 10.3 gigawatts of new coal capacity, far less than the 50.4 gigawatts approved in the first half of last year, according to an analysis from Greenpeace and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. While China is bullish on renewables — it is currently building twice as much wind and solar as the rest of the world combined — officials have been looking to coal to meet demand when solar and wind are in short supply.

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.

Mangrove tree in the waters around Nosy Be Madagascar

Madagascar’s mangroves are rebounding after decades of deforestation

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A new analysis of satellite imagery dating as far back as 1972 reveals that mangroves in Madagascar are rebounding after decades of deforestation. The island’s total mangrove cover is down 8% compared with 1972, but a closer look at the data shows that the rate of loss has been declining and even reversed in the last decade. Between 2009 and 2019, Madagascar’s mangrove cover increased by 5%, with mangrove forests expanding even more in protected areas — showing that conservation efforts are working.

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