Wildfires in California in 2020 produced roughly twice the amount of carbon emissions that state climate policies have eliminated over the past two decades, according to an academic study published this week. While California’s tight environmental regulations have led to a decline of 65 million metric tons (MMT) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since 2003, wildfires in 2020 alone … Read more
Around 20 million Shia Muslims participate in Arba’een, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings. A new study projects climate change will make dangerous temperatures more common during Arba’een by the end of the 21st century, threatening participants with an increased risk of heat-related illness. Pilgrims are exposed to the elements while traveling on foot … Read more
SEATTLE — The air quality west of the Cascades from Vancouver, British Columbia, south to Eugene, Oregon, has deteriorated again as wildfires continue to burn. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency sent out an alert Tuesday afternoon saying the smoke around Seattle was causing unhealthy air and that people should close windows and limit time … Read more
Deep below the ocean’s surface, the seafloor contains large quantities of naturally occurring, ice-like deposits made up of water and concentrated methane gas. For decades, climate scientists have wondered if this methane hydrate reservoir might “melt” and release massive amounts of methane to the ocean and the atmosphere as ocean temperatures warm. New research from … Read more
Hydrogen gas could someday replace fossil fuels as a “clean” energy source, producing only water and energy. However, handling large quantities of gaseous hydrogen is cumbersome, and converting it to a liquid requires vessels that can withstand extremely high pressures. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have developed a method to store and release … Read more
Climate change is causing the Arctic Ocean’s sea ice to melt away. When the polar ocean loses its cover of sea ice, carbon dioxide uptake increases disrupting the food web in the water according to a study in the journal Science co-authored by researchers from the University of Gothenburg. By comparing data from a long … Read more
The Baltic Sea is considered one of the world’s most polluted seas. Now, new research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, reveals a relatively unknown environmental culprit. The study shows that the discharge water from ships’ exhaust gas treatment systems, so-called scrubbers, is responsible for up to nine percent of certain emissions of carcinogenic and … Read more