Is tree pollen more allergic in polluted areas? & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Friday, January 27, 2023 “Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel. By virtue of this curious loophole in the rules, any clodhopper may say: Let there be a tree - and there will be one.” –Aldo Leopold Is Tree Pollen More Allergic in Polluted Areas? If you live in a polluted neighborhood, [allergy]( season could be worse for you. A new study published in PLOS ONE Wednesday found that [silver birch trees]( growing in more polluted areas of Poland had higher levels of the allergen Bet v1. [Read More]( Related: [Landfill Fire Continues to Spread Toxic Air Pollution in Alabama for Over 50 Days]( New Solar Panels Help Farmers Harness Full Light Spectrum to Improve Crop Yields As the world grapples with the [climate crisis]( and transition from [fossil fuels]( to [renewables]( [crops]( and [clean energy]( are increasingly sharing the same [land]( and agrivoltaics — the growing of crops beneath the shade of [solar panels]( — is expanding. Now, scientists are looking into how to harness the sun’s light spectrum in a way that can improve the efficiency of agrivoltaic systems in areas with arid farmland. [Read More]( Related: [New California Project Uses Solar Panels to Restore Native Prairie, Pollinator Habitat]( Florida’s Three Major Utilities Propose 10% to 20% Rate Hikes, Citing Hurricane Damage, Natural Gas Prices A combination of [climate]( [extreme weather]( events and a reliance on [fossil fuels]( could raise the electricity bills of many Floridians this spring. Three of the state’s largest utilities — Florida Power & Light (FPL), Duke Energy and Tampa Electric Company (TECO) — have asked the state’s Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve rate hikes to cover an increase in [natural gas]( prices and the cost of restoring the grid following Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. [Read More]( Related: [‘Wood Banks’ Provide Critical Heat as Gas Prices Spike]( Federal Reserve Wants Climate Risk Analysis From 6 Largest U.S. Banks The Federal Reserve — the central banking system of the U.S. — has told the six largest banks in the country to put together data on the anticipated effect [climate change]( events like [wildfires]( [floods]( [heat waves]( [droughts]( and [hurricanes]( would have on their business operations. The banks have until July 31 to provide the projected impact information. [Read More]( Related: [Biden Admin Announces First-of-Its-Kind Roadmap to Decarbonize U.S. Transit by 2050]( UK Fires Up Coal Plants, Pays Customers to Cut Energy Use During Cold Snap Britain is warming up its [coal]( power stations once again this winter as a cold snap and light winds have settled into the region. To make sure there is enough power during the [cold spell]( National Grid’s [electricity]( system operator (ESO) has asked power station operators Drax and EDF Energy to begin warming their respective North Yorkshire and West Burton, Nottinghamshire, coal units, reported The Guardian. [Read More]( Related: [China’s Coal Output Reached Record Heights in 2022]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](