Tag Archives: carbon dioxide

More climate-warming methane is leaking into the atmosphere than ever reported – here’s how satellites can track the leaks and prevent a valuable resource from being wasted

Far more methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is being released from landfills and oil and gas operations around the world than governments realized, recent aerial and satellite surveys show. That is both a problem for the climate and for human health. It’s also why the U.S. government has tightened regulations on methane leaks and wasteful… Read More »

Warren Buffett makes a one-time bet on two stocks. Would you?

Like millions of Americans, on Monday I watched the moon eclipse the sun (which ironically comes from the phrase “Monday”). The next full solar eclipse visible across much of the US won’t occur until 2045. When such rare opportunities arise, take advantage of them. I think Warren Buffett does that – from an investment perspective… Read More »

Making cement is very harmful to the climate. One solution is opening up in California

It is a major contributor to climate change – the way buildings and roads are made of concrete. It is also a problem that is growing as more of the world develops. So the race is on to find solutions for a material responsible for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions. Now a California startup… Read More »

Heat-trapping carbon dioxide and methane levels in the air reached record highs again last year

Levels of the crucial heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere reached an all-time high last year and were growing at a near-record pace, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Carbon dioxide, the most important and common greenhouse gas caused by humans, rose by the third-highest amount in 65 years of recording in 2023,… Read More »

Climate engineering poses serious national security risks; countries facing extreme heat can try anyway, and the world must be prepared

The historic Paris climate agreement ushered in a mantra for developing countries: “1.5 to stay alive.” It refers to the international goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.8 Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times. But the world will likely cross that threshold within a decade, and global warming shows little sign of slowing.… Read More »

Satellites detect no real climate benefit from ten years of carbon offsets in California’s forests

Many of the companies promising “net-zero” emissions to protect the climate rely on vast forests and so-called carbon offsets to achieve that goal. On paper, carbon offsets appear to offset a company’s carbon emissions: the company pays to protect trees, which absorb carbon dioxide from the air. The company can then claim the absorbed carbon… Read More »

Not all carbon capture projects pay off for the climate – we’ve mapped out the pros and cons of each project and found clear winners and losers

Capturing carbon dioxide from the air or industries and recycling it may sound like a win-win climate solution. The greenhouse gas stays out of the atmosphere where it can warm the planet, avoiding the use of more fossil fuels. But not all carbon capture projects provide the same economic and environmental benefits. Some could even… Read More »

James Webb Space Telescope could probe ‘carbon-lite’ exoplanet atmospheres in search of alien life

When it comes to detecting the presence of liquid water on planets outside the solar system, and thus the conditions necessary for life, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may want to look for what’s missing rather than what is is. This is what that means. A team of researchers, including scientists from the Massachusetts… Read More »

A lucrative tax credit for making clean fuel won’t be so easy to come by

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday released its long-awaited plan to offer lucrative tax breaks to companies that make hydrogen, a clean fuel, and proposed new rules aimed at ensuring the policy does not inadvertently lead to a spike in global energy production. global warming. Hydrogen is widely seen as a promising tool to… Read More »

What is CO2 capture and why does it keep coming up at COP28?

The future of fossil fuels takes center stage at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai, with many activists, experts and countries calling for an agreement to phase out the oil, gas and coal responsible for warming the planet . On the other side: energy companies and oil-rich countries with plans to continue drilling well… Read More »