The Planet (on, and off)

Blue Origin on Thursday announced the crew for its next mission. The crew most notably includes popstar Katy Perry and broadcast journalist Gayle King. They will be joined by two scientists — Aisha Bowe and Amanda Nguyen — as well as Jeff Bezos’ fiancee, TV personality Lauren Sanchez and film Read more…

More than half the world’s countries have no plans to protect 30% of land and sea for nature, despite committing to a global agreement to do so less than three years ago, new analysis shows. From a report: In late 2022, nearly every country signed a once-in-a-decade UN deal to Read more…

For the second year running, nonprofit consulting firm Good Energy applied its Climate Reality Check to the actual Oscar-nominated films [which] tests whether a movie and its characters acknowledge global warming… Of last year’s 13 Oscar-nominated films that met Good Energy’s criteria (feature-length movies set in present-day or near-future Earth) Read more…

California is considering officially recognizing Bigfoot as its state cryptid through Assembly Bill 666, introduced last week by North Coast Assemblymember Chris Rogers. Rogers’ district spans Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma and Trinity counties, a region known as the epicenter of Bigfoot lore. Assemblyman Rogers’ Assembly Bill 666 is still Read more…

The SS United States, a historic ocean liner that once held the transatlantic speed record of 36 knots (41 mph / 66 kph), has departed Philadelphia to be transformed into the world’s largest artificial reef off Florida’s Gulf Coast. The move is part of a $10 million project to boost Read more…

California is considering state ownership of one or more oil refineries. They call the idea “one item on a list of options presented by the California Energy Commission to ensure steady gas supplies as oil companies pull back from the refinery business in the state.” “The state recognizes that they’re Read more…