A Butterfly's Brilliant Blue Wings Lead to Less Toxic Paint

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November 18, 2020

Dear Reader,

Nature? Is pretty darn cool. Case in point: our lead story this week, which looks at how chemists have taken inspiration from the stunning cerulean wings of the morpho butterfly to make pigments for paint and other applications. Read on for a fascinating look at how color is produced in nature and how we can learn from it.

Andrea Thompson, Associate Editor, Sustainability
@AndreaTWeather

Chemistry

A Butterfly's Brilliant Blue Wings Lead to Less Toxic Paint

A phenomenon known as structural color could be translated to a range of commercial products

By Meg Wilcox

Climate

Otters Show How Predators Can Blunt Climate Damage

Understanding the full impacts of warming requires factoring in the complexity of ecosystems

By Nancy Averett

Natural Disasters

As the Oceans Warm, Hurricanes Stay Stronger Longer

Storms may not weaken as quickly once they make landfall, allowing them to do more damage

By Chelsea Harvey,E&E News

Climate

Here's How Scientists Want Biden to Take on Climate Change

Ambitions include promoting electric vehicles and incorporating environmental justice

By Andrea Thompson

Climate

Biden Stocks Transition Teams with Climate Experts

The president-elect has included those with climate experience across a wide swath of federal agencies

By Adam Aton,Jean Chemnick,E&E News

EARTH

Repairing Earth once the Pandemic Is Over

COVID-19 has highlighted how we've damaged the planet—and also harmed poor and marginalized people

By THE EDITORS

Energy

With GOP Support, Arizona Mandates Cleaner Energy

The falling costs of renewables has helped shift political winds around power generation

By Benjamin Storrow,E&E News

Environment

COVID Pandemic Reduces Seismic Noise

Vibrations in the earth's crust generated by human activity dropped as lockdowns went into effect

By Mark Fischetti,Shirley Wu

Climate

How Biden Might Reverse Trump's Attacks on Climate Research

His options include revaluing the costs of climate change and removing political appointees who have downplayed climate science

By Chelsea Harvey,E&E News
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"The Trump administration opening up oil lease sales is devastating to our way of life as Gwich'in people. The Gwich'in people's identity is connected to the land and animals. We have lost so much [that] we can't afford to lose more."

Quannah ChasingHorse Potts, Gwich'in Youth Council member, The Guardian

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FROM THE ARCHIVE

Scientists Unearth Revealing Details about the World's Biggest Mud Volcano

Its destructive eruptions may help researchers better understand mass extinctions

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