Coal energy under fire

+ how to clean a high-altitude garbage dump US Edition - Today's top story: New EPA regulations target air, water, land and climate pollution from power plants, especially those that burn coal [View in browser]( US Edition | 1 May 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Students benefit from physical books and handwriting]( - [Electric air taxis are finally about to take off]( - [The mystical power of cracked mirrors for ancient Maya]( Lead story The Biden administration is publishing new regulations at a fast pace, working to enact as many new rules as possible before the 2024 election. On April 25, the EPA finalized a package of new limits on pollution from electric power plants – mainly those that burn coal. The current Supreme Court has not been friendly to broad federal regulations in recent years, but environmental law professor Patrick Parenteau believes the new measures are squarely within the EPA’s authority and carefully drafted to follow [time-tested approaches for cleaning up polluters](. They also will make generating electricity from coal more expensive, which could speed the ongoing shift to cleaner fuels. One last thing: If you value The Conversation’s international coverage, we think you’ll also like the DailyChatter. This daily newsletter covers more than 150 countries by highlighting trusted sources like The Conversation from around the world. Subscribe today and [get the world in your inbox tomorrow](. Jennifer Weeks Senior Environment + Cities Editor PacifiCorp’s Hunter coal-fired power plant in Utah is scheduled to shut down by 2032. George Frey/Getty Images [New EPA regulations target air, water, land and climate pollution from power plants, especially those that burn coal]( Patrick Parenteau, Vermont Law & Graduate School Lawsuits are inevitable, but an environmental lawyer explains why the EPA’s new power plant regulations are on solid ground. Education - [The power of touch is vital for both reading and writing]( Naomi S. Baron, American University When asked, students say that touch is important in developing reading and writing skills. Research backs them up. Environment + Energy - [Electric air taxis are on the way – quiet eVTOLs may be flying passengers as early as 2025]( Jamey Jacob, Oklahoma State University The development of air taxis is being driven by a blend of visionary entrepreneurship and technological advancements spurred by the electric car revolution. - [Climbers have turned Mount Everest into a high-altitude garbage dump, but sustainable solutions are within reach]( Suzanne OConnell, Wesleyan University; Alton C. Byers, University of Colorado Boulder Mountain tourism brings revenues to Nepal but leaves a mess behind. Local and international groups are offering new cleanup strategies. Politics + Society - [Hate crimes laws passed in Washington have been remarkably ineffective in protecting LGBTQ people for decades]( Christopher Ewing, Purdue University Hate crime legislation is often touted as a progressive tool to end violence and champion inclusion. Its origins tell a more complicated story. - [To reduce Black-on-Black crime, two criminal justice experts explain why offering monthly stipends to people at risk makes sense]( Thaddeus L. Johnson, Georgia State University; Natasha N. Johnson, Georgia State University Research has shown that anti-gun violence programs have more success when they address root causes such as generational poverty, easy access to guns and a lack of affordable housing. Science + Technology - [Cassava: The perilous past and promising future of a toxic but nourishing crop]( Stephen Wooding, University of California, Merced Cassava’s many assets would seem to make it the ideal crop, except for one drawback: It’s highly poisonous. Human ingenuity has made cassava edible for millennia. - [Is scientific discovery driven by great individuals or by great teams?]( Denisa Mindruta, HEC Paris Business School New research reveals star scientists contribute surprisingly little to scientific discovery. Ethics + Religion - [For the ancient Maya, cracked mirrors were a path to the world beyond]( James L. Fitzsimmons, Middlebury Broken mirrors can be associated with bad luck, but for the ancient Maya, a cracked mirror was often desirable. - [The biblical character who goes ‘down the rabbit hole’ into an alternate reality − just like Alice in Wonderland]( Ryan M. Armstrong, Oklahoma State University The Book of Job and ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ both make fun of preachy know-it-alls and resist conventions of their genres. Trending on site - [Why are some people faster than others? 2 exercise scientists explain the secrets of running speed]( - [Third parties will affect the 2024 campaigns, but election laws written by Democrats and Republicans will prevent them from winning]( - [Teens see social media algorithms as accurate reflections of themselves, study finds]( Today's graphic 📈 [As of April 26, 2024, avian flu had been found in livestock in nine U.S. states (Idaho, South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia).]( From the story, [How bird flu virus fragments get into milk sold in stores, and what the spread of H5N1 in cows means for the dairy industry and milk drinkers]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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