China aims to peak emissions within five years, targeting a 17% reduction in CO2 emissions per GDP unit by 2030 and increasing non-fossil energy share to 25%. The plan emphasizes clean coal substitution, nuclear power, and green energy sources to meet soaring electricity demand from its AI sector and ensure energy security.
Record wildfires in France and Spain, burning double the average land, are linked to a combination of wet springs and subsequent heatwaves. Scientists explain how excess vegetation from wet periods dries out rapidly in extreme heat, creating abundant fuel for fires, exacerbated by a lack of land management.
Donald Trump has lifted Obama-era restrictions on potent greenhouse gases used in cooling and air conditioning, claiming it will lower living costs. Environmental groups and industry experts disagree, warning of harm to consumers, the climate, and increased prices.
The Trump administration is set to loosen a federal rule on refrigerants used in cooling equipment, aiming to reduce grocery costs. EPA head Lee Zeldin stated the move will save businesses billions and lower prices for families, despite environmentalist concerns about increased climate pollution.
Nights are warming faster than days globally, impacting crops, ecosystems, and human health. Cities trap heat due to concrete and lack of green cover, while rising greenhouse gases act like a thicker blanket, preventing heat escape. This 'asymmetric warming' alarms scientists, indicating a fundamental shift in the planet's ability to cool itself.
Observers say pressure on IMO negotiations appears to be linked to countries that have invested heavily in gasAbout a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passed through the strait of Hormuz, a strip of sea less than 30 miles wide at its narrowest point, before it was in effect closed by the US-Israeli attack on Iran, which sent the price of oil soaring and left an estimated 20,000 seafarers on 2,000 vessels stranded.Their plight has shone a spotlight on the complex and dirty relationship between shipping and the fossil fuel industry. The sector is one of the most polluting, with most ship engines fuelled by what has been called the dregs of the oil refining process, heavy and carbon-intensive diesel too filthy for any other purpose. Shipping produces about 3% of global greenhouse gases, a portion set to rise as trade globalises further. Continue reading...
Researchers published a study in ACS Catalysis on April 15 detailing a process to convert carbon dioxide directly into long-chain chemicals suitable for jet fuel. The method essentially runs combustion in reverse, recombining waste gas with water to create energy-dense liquid fuel. The breakthrough addresses two major obstacles that have historically hindered this chemical process: carbon chain growth difficulties and low yields of valuable long-chain products.
Soil scientists at Tomsk State University discovered that residual small lakes in bowls of descended thermokarst lakes in Russia's Arctic Zone are significant sources of greenhouse gases. The research measured CO2 and methane concentrations across three sites in the Yamal Peninsula region, finding that shallow reservoirs release substantial carbon dioxide fluxes regardless of drainage age. The study suggests these residual basins should be included in climate monitoring and carbon cycle models as Arctic permafrost continues to thaw.
