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Shrinking coal and the gas trap

August 8, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

An important part of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is reducing the use of coal to produce electricity. Coal is the dirtiest fuel in common use and not burning it is a way to greatly reduce emissions. Ten years later, coal consumption around the world has decreased dramatically.

The most convenient alternative to coal is natural gas, which is still a fossil fuel, but one that releases less carbon than coal. As a result, around the world many countries have increasingly switched from coal to natural gas.

While the switch is a step in the right direction, it is also one that comes with an unintended consequence. Economists at Stanford University have found that natural gas exports by countries have the effect of discouraging investments in renewable energy. Over the long term, the result is increases in carbon emissions. The Stanford researchers refer to this situation as ‘the gas trap’.

As a result of the gas trap, even countries that are very concerned about climate change and want to take action by abandoning the use of coal may end up reducing their investments in renewables and, ultimately, producing more emissions.

This problem comes about because replacing fossil fuels with renewables requires large investments and can take years before the renewables can fully compete with coal. Natural gas, as a “transition fuel” gives countries time to develop renewable solutions. But natural gas producers keep providing large amounts of their product at attractive prices so that customers buy more and more of it rather than investing in renewables. The gas trap isn’t permanent or inevitable, but it is currently a problem.

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How the rush to quit coal is fueling a new ‘gas trap’

Photo, posted February 7, 2017, courtesy of Christian Collins via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Fighting honey fraud

May 12, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Honey fraud is a significant issue for the food industry. What is honey fraud? Typically, it involves mislabeling where honey was produced or what types of flowers the bees collected nectar from. Honey made from a single type of flower is often more expensive because of the unique flavor it provides or from potential health benefits. Sometimes even cheap alternatives like sugar syrups are labelled as honey. It turns out that honey is one of the most fraud-prone commodities in global trade, with fraud estimated to occur in up to 10% of the honey traded internationally. Honey from some countries, such as China and India, has had 30% or more of samples found to be fraudulent.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal have developed an AI-powered method to verify the origin of honey thereby ensuring that what is on the label corresponds to what is in the jar.

The McGill method can determine what kind of flowers the bees visited to produce a particular sample of honey. Previous honey authentication involved pollen analysis, which is ineffective for honey that was processed or filtered. The new method uses high-resolution mass spectrometry which captures a unique chemical “fingerprint” from the honey. Machine learning algorithms read the fingerprint to identify the honey’s origin.

The researchers tested their methodology on a variety of honey samples which they then compared with honey from known botanical sources. Using previous methods for honey authentication can take days. The McGill method takes only minutes and works regardless of how the honey was processed.

According to the researchers, people deserve to know that the honey they buy is what it claims to be, and honest honey producers deserve protection from fraudulent competitors.

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Fighting honey fraud with AI technology

Photo, posted May 6, 2012, courtesy of Emma Jane via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Bananas and climate change

April 17, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Bananas are one of the most widely produced fruits globally, with more than 100 million tons grown every year. They are a key export crop worth approximately $11 billion annually. Bananas are also a staple food in many tropical countries, playing a vital role in both the economies of these nations and in global food security.

The Cavendish variety of banana dominates commercial exports, accounting for nearly 47% of global production. However, the Cavendish banana is highly susceptible to diseases like Panama disease, prompting ongoing efforts to develop disease-resistant alternatives. The spread of these diseases is exacerbated by climate change, which alters growing conditions and weakens banana plants. Additionally, climate change poses further threats to the banana industry by impacting crop yields and distribution patterns.

In fact, a new study led by researchers from the University of Exeter in the U.K. has found that by 2080, rising temperatures will make growing bananas for export economically unsustainable in many regions of Latin America and the Caribbean. Colombia and Costa Rica will be among the countries most negatively impacted as they are expected to become too hot for optimal banana cultivation.

The study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Food, found that 60% of the regions currently producing bananas around the world will struggle to grow the fruit unless there are urgent interventions to tackle climate change. The researchers propose several adaptation strategies, including expanding irrigation systems, developing heat- and drought-resistant banana varieties, and helping banana producers manage climate-related risks.

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Climate change threatens future of banana export industry

Photo, posted June 26, 2024, courtesy of JJ Musgrove via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Nearly everyone wants climate action

July 29, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

A global survey of 75,000 people revealed that 80% of participants want their governments’ climate action commitments to be stronger. The poll, conducted by the United Nations Development Program, GeoPoll, and Oxford University, asked 15 questions in telephone calls to residents of 77 countries representing 87% of the global population.

According to the survey, 89% of poorer countries favored increasing efforts to curb global emission, while 76% of wealthy G20 nations supported tougher climate action.

The two biggest greenhouse emitters in the world were less enthusiastic: Chinese participants were 73% in favor of stronger action and Americans were 66% in favor of greater efforts to combat global warming.

Other demographic differences included that in the big emitting countries of Canada, France, Germany, Australia, and the U.S., women were 10 to 17% more in support of stronger climate action than men.

Overall, only 7% of those polled globally thought their government should not transition away from fossil fuels at all. More than half of those polled said that they were more worried about climate change this year than last year. A worldwide majority of 72% support a fast fossil fuel phaseout, including those in nations that are among the top ten coal, oil, and gas producers.

As is the case across the board with respect to climate issues, the more influential factor continues to be economic as opposed to scientific or humanitarian. Those who stand to lose the most money from the transition away from fossil fuels continue to hold sway over those who will lose in many other ways.

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Four Out of Five People Want Increased Climate Action, UN Poll Says

Photo, posted July 31, 2020, courtesy of School Strike 4 Climate via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The health impacts of gas venting and flaring

April 15, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Oil and gas producers around the world use venting and flaring to remove excess natural gas in crude oil production. Flaring is the process of burning excess natural gas at the production well using a flare to ignite the methane and other components in the gas, while venting is the direct release of natural gas into the atmosphere.

Both practices are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming. Venting and flaring release carbon dioxide and methane – two major greenhouse gases.

The practices contribute to air pollution in surrounding and downwind communities, resulting in increased risk of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, worsening asthma, and even premature death. In fact, according to a new study recently published in the journal GeoHealth, pollution from oil and gas venting and flaring results in $7.4 billion in health damages, more than 700 premature deaths, and 73,000 asthma exacerbations among children in the United States annually.

The study, which was led by researchers at the University of North Carolina, Boston University, and the Environmental Defense Fund, also found that emissions are underreported, and controlling emissions would be profitable for operators and would significantly improve public health.

The research team found that Texas, Pennsylvania, and Colorado had the highest health burdens in this analysis, accounting for 45% of the premature deaths.

The researchers hope their findings will help improve air quality and human health by reducing emissions from venting and flaring.

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New study quantifies health impacts from oil and gas flaring in U.S.

Photo, posted June 20, 2020, courtesy of Jonathan Cutrer via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The slow decline of coal

January 25, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Despite the fact that coal is the dirtiest and most climate-harmful energy source we have, the global demand for it hit a record high in 2023. The demand for coal grew by 1.4% worldwide, according to an analysis by the International Energy Agency.

Coal use grew by 5% in China and 8% in India. The two countries are the world’s largest producers and consumers of coal. Meanwhile, coal use in the U.S. and the European Union fell by 20%.

Despite this discouraging news, the IEA forecasts that coal use will decline over the next two years. There have been declines in coal demand a few times before, but they were driven by unusual events such as the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Covid-19 crisis. But the IEA says that the forthcoming decline is different. It will be driven by the formidable and sustained expansion of clean energy technologies.

According to the IEA, global coal demand will fall by 2.3% by 2026 even in the absence of new policies to curb coal use. Forces at play will be increased hydropower in China as it recovers from drought and puts new wind and solar projects online. China is responsible for more than half of global coal demand, but it is also responsible for more than half of the planned renewable power projects coming online over the next three years. Experts believe that with these forthcoming projects, Chinese emissions may have peaked in 2023.

The projected drop in coal demand is still far short of what is required for the world to avoid catastrophic warming. Much greater efforts are needed to meet international climate targets.

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After a Record 2023, Coal Headed for Decline, Analysts Say

Photo, posted August 25, 2015, courtesy of Jeremy Buckingham via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Airplanes, corn, and groundwater

January 11, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The aviation industry wants to slash its greenhouse gas emissions. One proposed strategy is to replace ordinary jet fuel with ethanol. Ethanol in this country mostly comes from corn. The airlines are enthusiastic about the idea; corn farmers are enthusiastic about the idea. Ethanol suppliers are obviously enthusiastic about it. But is it a good idea?

Today, nearly 40% of America’s corn crop is turned into ethanol. Twenty years ago, the figure was around 10%. The massive growth was the result of mandates for ethanol augmentation of gasoline for environmental reasons.

But the environmental benefits of corn ethanol have always been controversial at best when all the energy factors are considered. But apart from that, a very serious issue is that corn is a water-intensive crop, and it can take hundreds of gallons of water to produce a single gallon of ethanol. As the climate warms and corn crops expand, groundwater in many corn-growing areas is being increasingly depleted and groundwater provides half our drinking water and meets far more than just the needs of corn farmers.

Corn farmers and ethanol producers see the rapid growth of electric vehicles as a threat to their lucrative business of supplying the auto fuel industry. The ambitious goals of the airline industry to reduce its emissions would likely require nearly doubling ethanol production.

The situation is a powerful example of the tradeoffs that can arise as the world tries to make the transition away from fossil fuel. Even green solutions can have their own environmental cost and sometimes that cost may be too steep.

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Airlines Race Toward a Future of Powering Their Jets With Corn

Photo, posted September 2, 2007, courtesy of Rosana Prada via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The U.S. Ratifies A Climate Treaty | Earth Wise

October 14, 2022 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

In a rare display of bipartisanship, the U.S. Senate voted 69-27 in favor of ratifying a key international climate agreement aimed at curbing global warming. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which has been ratified by 137 other countries so far, ends the use of climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons that are 1,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide in warming the atmosphere. This is the first international climate treaty that the U.S. has joined in 30 years.

The Kigali Agreement was established in Kigali, Rwanda in 2016 to phase out HFCs, which have been the replacements for CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in air conditioners and refrigerators. CFCs were found to be depleting the ozone layers that protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer, but they have been a significant contributor to global warming.

The U.S. ratification of the treaty is largely symbolic. The American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, passed by Congress in 2020, gave the EPA authority to regulate HFCs and the agency has already been doing so. However, the Senate action shows that the U.S. is back on the international climate bandwagon.

Failure to ratify the Kigali Amendment would have closed segments of the chemical and manufacturing industries to U.S. producers after 2023 because the Montreal Protocol prohibits trade with countries not party to it or its amendments.

Environmental advocates are hopeful that the U.S. can move forward on other climate actions. A next step would be to focus on methane, the second leading driver of climate change after carbon dioxide.

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Senate Votes to Ratify the Kigali Amendment, Joining 137 Nations in an Effort to Curb Global Warming

Photo, posted June 13, 2017, courtesy of UNIDO via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Takeout Food And Ocean Litter | Earth Wise

August 5, 2021 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The Covid-19 pandemic saw most of us making use of take-out or delivery services as our only access to restaurant food. It was a valuable link to normal life. But unfortunately, the packaging of takeout food is a major contributor to the global plastic waste problem that isn’t going to disappear just because people are returning to eating in restaurants.

A new analysis of more than 12 million items by UK researchers published in the journal Nature Sustainability has found that the majority of ocean litter collected around the world is in the form of takeout food items: bags, wrappers, containers, straws and cutlery, aluminum cans, and plastic and glass bottles. Eighty percent of all the items surveyed were made of plastic.

Wrappers and packaging tended to concentrate along coasts, gathering on the shore and the sea floor. Takeout trash was rarer in the open ocean. In those areas, fishing debris accounted for half of the litter.

The authors of the study argue that efforts to curb plastic waste should prioritize takeout food and beverage containers. They recommend that avoidable takeout items, like single-use plastic bags, should be replaced with non-plastic and biodegradable materials. The authors also recommended making plastic producers responsible for the collection and disposal of plastic products.

As of July 1, the European Union has banned the 10 most common plastic and Stryofoam products found on European beaches. The EU is also establishing an active European market for recycled plastics based on the principles of extended producer responsibility.

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Takeout Food and Drink Containers Account for Bulk of Ocean Litter

Photo, posted September 14, 2009, courtesy of Susan White/USFWS via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Food Waste Into Wearables | Earth Wise

November 20, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

A new startup company spun out of the University of Toronto wants to make clothing from food waste. If they are successful, you may someday buy a shirt or a pair of gym shorts made from banana peels, rotten tomatoes, coffee grounds, or moldy bread.

A problem faced by the clothing industry is that most textiles are blended with synthetic and non-renewable fiber polyester, which makes them unrecyclable. An alternative that has come on the scene in recent years is polylactic acid (or PLA), which is a decomposable bioplastic that is currently used for food packaging, medical implants, and 3D printing. It is likely that a sustainable future for the fashion industry will depend on the ability to make use of biodegradable and carbon-neutral materials.

PLA is typically made from cornstalk, but the startup – called ALT TEX – does not want to rely on a crop already used for feedstock, human consumption, and alternative fuel. Furthermore, there is no need to plant more corn when there is an abundant supply of unused post-industrial food waste from growers, producers, and retailers that contains the same biological building blocks for producing PLA.

ALT TEX has been conducting experiments using discarded apples to create a PLA-based fabric that is strong, durable, decomposable, and cost effective. They are working with farmers and food suppliers to access their waste. If their efforts are successful, it would be possible to divert significant amounts of organic waste that currently emits the powerful greenhouse gas methane and instead enable the fashion industry to be more sustainable.

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Earth-friendly fashion: U of T startup turns food waste into wearables

Photo, posted August 30, 2019, courtesy of Ruth Hartnup via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

An Incentive For Carbon Capture | Earth Wise

April 1, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Convincing industries to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions has not been easy. Many approaches have been debated, including carbon taxes, carbon tax-and-trade schemes, and passing a giant Green New Deal. Most economists agree that putting a price on carbon is likely to be the most effective approach.

But there is already in place an adjustment to the US tax code that is more of a carrot than a stick. It is a tax credit that is designed to make capturing CO2 a financial winner for a number of high-emitting industries. The credit, called 45Q, was enacted in February 2018.

The 45Q credit earns industrial manufacturers $50 per metric ton of CO2 stored permanently or $35 per ton if the CO2 is put to use. An earlier credit for capturing carbon dioxide was limited to only $20 per metric ton and was capped at 75 million tons. Some large fossil fuel companies did make use of the earlier credit.

The new version does not have a cap, but to qualify, companies need to start constructing carbon-capture facilities within 7 years and have 12 years to claim their money.

Companies with emission-intensive operations are busy figuring out how to take advantage of the credit. These include cement makers, steel and power plants, corn ethanol producers, and ammonia plants.

Because the credit mandates that companies start constructing their carbon-capture facilities within seven years, most companies will tend to rely on mature technologies. But the tax credit should also drive demand for next-generation carbon-capture technologies, of which there are many under development. Saving lots of money on taxes is likely to lure US companies to capture carbon dioxide.

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