Wednesday morning, October 6, 2021
state
Saving energy leads to a “rebound effect”
A new study by researchers at the University of Utah found that human behavior interferes with some of the benefits gained from renewable energy and other green technologies. For example, it found that a 1% increase in renewable energy sources resulted in a decrease in CO2 emissions of around 0.7%. But if you narrowed the comparison to homes only, emissions rose, suggesting that people are countering the benefits of clean energy by consuming more. The study’s lead author, Lazarus Adua, said the results suggest that advances in technology alone are not enough to stop climate change from continuing to affect the planet. Read the full story. – Jon Reed
Recovered ancient fish lizard
Paleontologists have unearthed a partial fossil from an ancient marine reptile on the banks of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. It’s called ichthyosaur, which means fish lizard, and it swam in a warm sea in northeastern Utah about 10 million years before the area’s dinosaurs. It’s not the first specimen of ichthyosaurs found in Utah, but it’s one of the better ones. It includes an almost complete front fin, 10 ribs and 19 vertebrae. The specimen was found by a boat driver who abandoned it and sent photos to state scientists. Right now, it’s embedded in a 400-pound block of sandstone and lab workers will be uncovering more bones to examine. It will later be exhibited at the Utah Field House of Natural History in Vernal. – Elaine Clark
Rich County poaching incident
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is investigating an illegal killing of a buck deer near Meadowville, Rich County. DWR was made aware of the lavish remains on September 4th. It appears that the goat was shot by an archer who was likely trespassing at the time. There were more than 1,000 illegally killed animals in the state last year, according to Wildlife Resources. – Elaine Clark
State job fair
Utah’s Department of Workforce Services is hosting a free virtual job fair Thursday. There will be over 100 employers representing sectors such as healthcare, banking and government. The unemployment rate in the state is only 2.6%. Liz Carver, director of the Workforce Development Division, said in a press release that there was “a significant need for manpower”. The fair takes place on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and job seekers are asked to register at jobs.utah.gov. – Elaine Clark
Southern Utah
Washington County tightens rules for short-term rentals
Washington County will now have stricter short-term rental regulations in unincorporated parts of the county. The commission unanimously passed a regulation on Tuesday that prescribes personal use of short-term rents and limits the size of buildings. In the spring, the county put a moratorium on all new rentals so the code could be updated. The issue has sparked debates over property rights among officials and landlords. The commissioners said they had to keep an eye out for the neighbors of major Airbnbs in the area. – Lexi Peery, St. George
Region / nation
Forest fire endangered houses in the west
Forest fires are disproportionately high in Wyoming and Idaho, according to a new report from financial services company CoreLogic. The researchers used disaster models to see how many homes in wildfire-prone states are damaged by fire in a single year. Wyoming has 821 homes, or 0.29% of the housing stock. In Idaho, it’s 0.22%. These results are significant in comparison to other federal states. Lead author Tom Larsen said local and state authorities need to work with homeowners to avoid loss or damage. – Maggie Mullen, Mountain West News Office
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