A look at our changing environment.
There has been a decline in the abundance of insect and other animal pollinators in many ecosystems worldwide that began being observed at the end of the 20th century. Pollinators and their health have become growing concerns for the public and many states have enacted legislation related to pollinator decline. In many places, the pollinator […]
Global energy storage deployment is increasing at a very rapid pace. According to recent industry forecasts, there will be 12.4 gigawatts of new energy storage capacity online in 2021 breaking the previous annual record of 4.9 gigawatts set last year. To understand these numbers, the world only reached 1 gigawatt of new capacity in a […]
New research published by the University of Colorado Boulder analyzes the effects of different wavelengths of ultraviolet light on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The research found that a specific wavelength of UV light is not only extremely effective at killing the virus that causes COVID-19, but also that this wavelength is safer for use in public […]
The production of steel, cement, and ammonia accounts for about 20% of the carbon dioxide humans pour into the atmosphere. Modern cities are largely constructed from concrete and steel and most of our food is grown using fertilizer made from ammonia. The most widely discussed solutions to decarbonizing these industries are green hydrogen and carbon […]
Tiny ticks are a big problem. Measuring only three to five millimeters in size, ticks are widely distributed around the world. They are external parasites, feasting on the blood of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals – including humans. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ticks infect an estimated 476,000 people […]
The global marine shipping and aviation industries are each responsible for about 3% of greenhouse gas emissions. These are relatively small numbers, but as other industries decarbonize, the contributions from shipping and aviation will loom larger and larger. In October, both of these industries made commitments to reach net zero emissions by 2050. How can […]
Reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions can slow the progress of global warming but only reaching and sustaining net zero global emissions can halt the progress of climate change. The move to renewable power and the use of electric transport are substantial and essential ways to reduce emissions. But even if these transitions take […]
The steel industry is an essential part of modern society. Economically, the U.S. steel industry produces goods valued at more than $100 billion a year and employs more than 80,000 people. The steel industry is also a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. On average, 1.85 tons of CO2 are emitted for every ton of […]
Global warming is, obviously, a world-wide phenomenon. When the concept of a 2 degrees Celsius temperature rise is discussed, it refers to the average global temperature and the effects that would have on such things as sea level rise and weather patterns. But the effects of the changing climate are not homogeneous. Very different things […]
Lithium-ion batteries power computers, cell phones, and increasingly, automobiles. They started out being rather expensive but have become dramatically cheaper over the last decade, with prices dropping about 90%. Batteries are needed to store clean power from wind and solar generation and lithium-ion batteries are increasingly being used for that purpose as well. Utility-scale energy […]
The transition to electric vehicles from gas-powered vehicles is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as air pollution in general. Currently, transportation is responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. There is no doubt that there is surging interest in electric cars. There are now millions of them being […]
Manatees are large, gentle, and curious marine mammals measuring up to 13 feet long and weighing up to 3,300 lbs. There are three living species of manatees: The Amazonian Manatee, the West African Manatee, and the West Indian Manatee, which is commonly found in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Manatees inhabit the shallow, marshy coastal […]
Michigan, historically the focus of the American auto industry, has announced a new initiative to develop the nation’s first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road. The Inductive Vehicle Charging Pilot is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Transportation and the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. The idea is to deploy an electrified […]
According to a new study by the Columbia Climate School, exposure to deadly urban heat has tripled since the 1980s. The increase is the combined result of both rising global temperatures and booming urban population growth. The study looked at more than 13,000 cities worldwide and found that incidents of extreme heat and humidity have […]
The chimpanzee is a species of great ape native to tropical regions of Central and West Africa. Chimpanzees are highly social animals and can live to be over 50 years old. In fact, chimpanzees are our closest cousins. We share about 98% of our genes with chimpanzees. According to the African Wildlife Federation, it’s estimated […]
Vineyard Wind 1 will be the first utility-scale offshore wind energy project in the United States. It will be located 15 miles off the coast of Massachusetts and will consist of an array of 62 wind turbines, spaced one nautical mile apart. It will generate 800 megawatts of electricity, enough to power over 400,000 homes. […]
Marine heatwaves are periods of abnormally high temperatures in the ocean that can trigger devastating impacts on ecosystems, including coral bleaching, toxic algal blooms, and mass mortality events. Marine heatwaves can occur in any ocean and in any season. They are defined based on the differences between actual and expected temperatures for the location and […]
According to a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, warming ocean waters have caused a drop in the brightness of the earth. Researchers measure the earth’s albedo by observing the light reflected from earth that illuminates the surface of the moon as well as with satellite measurements. The earth reflects about 30% […]
Lake Powell is the second largest reservoir by capacity in the United States. It straddles the border of southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona and was created by the Glen Canyon Dam, completed in 1963. The reservoir serves as a bank account of water that is drawn upon in times of drought and has made it […]
It seems like the news is always filled with stories about storms, heatwaves, drought, and forest fires. This is because these things are happening with unprecedented frequency. According to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization, weather disasters have become five times more common since 1970, in large part a result of climate change. […]