The Cool Down

California homeowner uses a simple AC timing shift to make a solar battery last until morning

One California resident with rooftop solar and a home battery took to Reddit to share their energy-conserving approach.
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Heat pump kept shutting off on 80-degree nights, and one small pipe may be to blame

A homeowner turned to Reddit after dealing with a frustrating pattern: Their heat pump kept shutting off during hot nights, even after multiple HVAC technicians concluded that nothing was wrong. In a ...
The Cool Down

Florida groups push utility reform as electric bills climb by $900 a year

Residents in Tampa, Florida, called for reforms of local energy bills one year after temperatures in the region reached 100 ...
The Cool Down

Vietnam mother wakes to suspected cobra slithering across bed beside her child

A mother in Vietnam had a terrifying close call, waking to find a snake believed to be a cobra slithering across the bed where she had been sleeping beside her young child.
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In Switzerland, one rooftop solar system nudged neighbors to go solar, buy EVs, and use less power

One rooftop solar array may do more than lower a home's bills. In Switzerland, researchers found it may also influence the entire neighborhood, with nearby households more likely to install panels of ...
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Jogger spots what they thought was a 10-foot python in the grass, and wildlife officers step in

A resident in Singapore got an unexpected reminder that wildlife and city life often overlap when they spotted a large python in a grassy patch while jogging. According to Mothership, a passerby ...
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Researchers turn a python's post-meal molecule into a promising obesity drug

A team of Colorado researchers is looking to one of nature's most unusual survival strategies for a possible obesity treatment: the python, a snake that can go months without eating and then ...
The Cool Down

Parked car in Greece concealed a snake by the pedals, and the rescue took a grim turn

A woman in Greece got the surprise of a lifetime when she approached her car for a routine trip and discovered a snake coiled ...
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In Canada, residents were still cleaning up from record floods when more 'insane' flooding hit

Residents in parts of Ontario's Niagara Region were still dealing with the aftermath of one round of severe flooding when another surge of high water appeared to swamp roads and neighborhoods. One ...
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California firefighters wrangle rattlesnake hiding among children's backyard toys

Los Angeles County firefighters answering a call in Calabasas, California, ended up removing a rattlesnake from an especially unexpected spot: a backyard play area filled with children's toys. While ...
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Arkansas realtor filmed black rat snakes hanging from a vacant home's porch, one testing the door

A real estate showing at a vacant home in rural Arkansas took an unexpected turn when several black rat snakes were found on the property, including one at the front door that appeared to be trying to ...
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In Bangladesh, rising power tariffs are pushing businesses toward solar, batteries, and efficiency

Higher energy bills in Bangladesh are adding pressure to budgets, but they are also pushing businesses toward rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems as tools to lower expenses and limit ...