ClimateFriendly

Snake Steak Could Be a Climate-Friendly Source of ProteinPythons turn their food into meat pretty efficiently, a study finds, making them an intriguing alternative to climate-unfriendly cowsBy Meghan BartelsReticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus). Credit: Paul Starosta/Getty ImagesPut aside your chicken cutlets and meatloaf and say hello to python curries and satay skewers. Some snake scientists think eating these reptiles—already customary or at least acceptable in parts of the world—might help lessen the damage…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Quick and easy interventions that inspire people to take direct climate action are the holy grail. Behavioral scientists and policymakers are keen to learn which small steps can make the biggest difference. One of the largest experiments ever conducted in climate change psychology shows that the same interventions have different outcomes depending on the specific context, and crucially, the…

Stroll through any trendy neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., and you’ll notice little pockets of green tucked between the concrete and brownstones. Many of these miniature oases are community gardens, spaces dedicated to growing produce ranging from kale to squash to tomatoes right in the heart of the city. Such projects are often seen as a climate solution—a way to enjoy fresh, local food with minimal environmental impact. But though these spaces have many upsides, reducing carbon emissions isn’t always one of them.A new…

Credit: CC0 Public Domain When it comes to flying, going green may cost you more. And it's going to take a while for the strategy to take off. Sustainability was a hot topic this week at the Paris Air Show, the world's largest event for the aviation industry, which faces increasing pressure to…

In the early 19th century, more than 100 years before electric refrigeration, an entrepreneurial Bostonian named Frederic Tudor landed on an idea: He'd cut blocks of ice from his Massachusetts lake and sell it to places where temperatures were too warm for ice to form naturally. Potential financiers thought this plan was too absurd to work. How would he ship the ice without it melting, they wondered, and who would buy it when it could be harvested for free? Ultimately Tudor not only succeeded at distributing and selling…

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Simulated itinerary of a solar-powered airship in January (winter, blue line), April (spring – green), July (summer – orange) and October (fall – brown), between New York and London (left) and London to New York (right). The airship’s maximum altitude is 3020 meters. Credit: International Journal of Sustainable Energy (2023). DOI: 10.1080/14786451.2023.2189488 Flying is the most damaging mode of transportation for our…

The oil giant recently tapped Dan Ammann, a former investment banker and longtime GM executive, to lead its fledgling low-carbon business. Mr. Ammann’s task is daunting: turn a new unit intended to reduce carbon emissions into a profit center. The selection is an unusual choice for the 140-year-old company, known for a conservative culture that prizes hiring employees out of school and typically promoting senior leadership from within its own ranks. Mr. Ammann, a New Zealand…

Jet A-1, a straw-colored, kerosene-based fuel used in most big airplanes, is a difficult substance to replace. It’s packed with energy; per unit of weight, at least 60 times as much as the lithium-ion batteries used to propel electric cars. It’s also terrible for the climate. So as the aviation industry has gradually climbed aboard global pledges to get rid of carbon emissions, it has mostly promised to make up for its damage elsewhere—through offsets that might involve planting trees, restoring wetlands, or paying people…