carbon emissions

Recent research led by Penn State indicates that trees in warmer, drier environments struggle to absorb carbon dioxide, compromising their ability to counteract climate change. The study highlights an increase in photorespiration—a process where stressed trees release CO2—under these conditions, challenging the efficacy of trees as natural carbon sinks in a warming world. Credit: SciTechDaily.comTrees are struggling to sequester heat-trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) in warmer, drier climates, meaning that they may no longer…

UCR’s Charles Cai and a newly installed 20-gallon CELF reactor that will be used in the scale-up project. Credit: Stan Lim / UCRIn the process of converting plants into fuel, the initial phase — decomposing the plant material — has consistently posed the greatest challenge. Recent research reveals that incorporating an easily renewable chemical during the pretreatment phase could, at last, render the production of advanced biofuels economically viable and carbon neutral.For biofuels to compete with petroleum, biorefinery…

The new carbon emissions feature on Uber’s app. Uber Environmentally conscious Uber riders interested in monitoring their carbon footprint can now discover the level of carbon dioxide emissions avoided if they take a trip in one of the company’s electric vehicle or hybrid options. In a bid to burnish its green credentials, Uber said on Monday it has introduced a new “Emission Savings” feature in its ridesharing app, enabling passengers around the world to track and learn more about their carbon emissions impact.…

Carbon dioxide emissions surged to record levels in 2023, with fossil fuel combustion and deforestation pushing total emissions to 40.9 billion metric tons, threatening global climate goals.Scientists’ annual checkup on Earth’s carbon cycle found that burning oil, coal, and natural gas is impeding progress to limit climate change.Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels rose again in 2023, reaching record levels, according to estimates from an international team of scientists. The continued rise in emissions from the…

Researchers identified key factors that determine if soil traps carbon or releases it as CO2, highlighting the role of molecular interactions and soil chemistry, potentially aiding climate change mitigation efforts. Smectite clay (shown here) holds clay minerals known to sequester carbon in natural soils. Credit: Francesco UngaroRecent research reveals the mechanism by which soil captures atmospheric carbon derived from plants.When carbon molecules from plants make their way into the soil, they hit a definitive fork in…

Last Updated: February 28, 2024, 16:55 ISTDo Electric Vehicles Contribute To Air Pollution? Here’s What Experts Have To Say. (Representative Image) (Photo: Canary Media)While electric cars have zero engine pollution, friction is still needed for the tyres and brakes to function.Several countries have prioritised the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in their efforts to meet their climate targets.Electric vehicles emit no tailpipe emissions when compared to traditional vehicles that run on fossil fuel. This has the…

Research predicts a near 50,000% increase in carbon emissions from mangrove degradation by 2100, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation in face of human development and rising population densities. Credit: IOP PublishingAlarming projections show a significant rise in carbon emissions from mangrove forests by 2100, highlighting the critical need for protection and understanding of human impacts on these vital ecosystems.The annual rate of carbon emissions due to the degradation of carbon stocks in mangrove forests is…

“The answer ended up being, yes, in all US states, on average heat pumps will reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Eric Wilson, a senior research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the lead author of the new paper. “Even if it’s a relatively low-efficiency heat pump that relies on electric resistance heating during the coldest times, and even if it’s the most pessimistic grid scenario that has prices for wind and solar being higher than their current trajectory has been.”Because a heat pump can be…

A view of an eddy covariance tower, capable of measuring the release of greenhouse gases, located in Alaska. Credit: Sigrid Dengel Berkeley Lab scientists show decadal increases in wetland methane emissions in Arctic and Boreal ecosystems.Wetlands are Earth’s largest natural source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is about 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the atmosphere. A research team from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) analyzed wetland…

So what’s going on here? For one, the oceans have been steadily warming over the decades, absorbing something like 90 percent of the extra heat that humans have added to the atmosphere. “The oceans are our saviors, in a way,” says biological oceanographer Francisco Chavez of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California. “Things might be a lot worse in terms of climate impacts, because a lot of that heat is not only kept at the surface, it’s taken to depths.”A major concern with such warm surface temperatures…