For Clean Energy, Buy American or Buy It Quick and Cheap?
By Jessica Murray Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
US climate envoy says people will not have to give up quality of life to achieve some of net zero goals
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Successfully mitigating climate change and adapting to the coming unavoidable environmental changes are going to require continuing technological advancements. Here, find the latest in solar technology, carbon capture, flood safety, and much more.
How each sub-discipline of machine learning can help fight climate change, where the darker colors represent more opportunities to pursue. SOURCE: MIT Technology Review
CURRENT NEWS
2050 Is Closer Than 1990
By Robinson Meyer Photo: Frances M. Ginter / Hulton / Getty
In February 2020, I traveled to New York to celebrate a zeroth birthday and an 80th birthday. First, I saw a close friend’s baby, who…
The world’s first ‘infinite’ plastic
By Katherine Latham
There is one man-made material that you can find in the earth, the air and in the deepest ocean trenches. It is so durable that…
NASA Technologies Spin off to Fight Climate Change
By Mike DiCicco Photo Credit: NASA
NASA’s work has generated countless spinoffs that are now on the front lines of the fight against climate change. That shouldn’t be a surprise, since…
Clock’s running out on climate change. California says it’s time for giant carbon vacuums
By Evan Halper
Solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars will go far in helping California and the Biden administration meet their aggressive climate goals — but not far…
Whitest-ever paint could help cool heating Earth, study shows
By Damian Carrington Photo: Jared Pike
The whitest-ever paint has been produced by academic researchers, with the aim of boosting the cooling of buildings and tackling the climate crisis. The new…
NFTs Are Shaking Up the Art World. They May Be Warming the Planet, Too.
By Hiroko Tabuchi Photo by Joanie Lemercier
When Chris Precht, an Austrian architect and artist, first learned about nonfungible tokens, the digital collectibles taking the art world by storm, he was so…
Test Flight for Sunlight-Blocking Research Is Canceled
By Henry Fountain and Christopher Flavelle
A test flight for researching ways to cool Earth by blocking sunlight will not take place as planned in Sweden this June, following objections from…
New Report Says U.S. Should Cautiously Pursue Solar Geoengineering
Given the urgency of the risks posed by climate change, the U.S. should pursue a research program for solar geoengineering — in coordination with other…
Should We Block the Sun? Scientists Say the Time Has Come to Study It.
By Christopher Flavelle
The idea of artificially cooling the planet to blunt climate change — in effect, blocking sunlight before it can warm the atmosphere — got a…
Exxon, Once a Skeptic, Sees Profit in Capturing Carbon Emissions
By Christopher M. Matthews
Exxon Mobil Corp. says the time has come to turn capturing carbon emissions into a real business, as it faces pressure from activists to become…
It looks like the Batmobile, works on solar energy, and could be the future of cars
By Sarah Kaplan and Aaron Steckelberg Photo by Jane Hahn
The dream began in 1955, with a tiny, toylike creation called the “Sunmobile.” Built from balsa wood and hobby shop tires, it was just 15…
KEY RESOURCES
10 technologies that could combat climate change as food demand soars
A new study from the World Bank and UN finds we’ll need ways to boost yields faster than ever before to prevent agricultural emissions from soaring.
Climate – Data.gov
Here you can find data related to climate change that can help inform and prepare America’s communities, businesses, and citizens. You can currently find data and resources related to coastal flooding, food resilience, water, ecosystem…
The Next Renewable Energy Source Could Be Rain
The team behind the new raindrop power generator has pushed these limits further. The researchers, from City University in Hong Kong and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, spent two years working on the energy density of…
MORE NEWS
New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency
By Zack Fishman Photo: University of Konstanz/Mecking group 2/17/2021
German chemists have developed two sustainable plastic alternatives to high-density polyethylene that can be chemically recycled more easily and nearly 10 times as efficiently, thanks to “break points” engineered into their molecular structures.
Northwest Natural Gas Company’s Plan For A Carbon Neutral Gas System
By Cassandra Profita 2/15/21
Natural gas companies face an existential threat as more governments and businesses move to tackle climate change. But a growing number have their own plans to decarbonize, by creating renewable gas.
Geoengineering: What could possibly go wrong? Elizabeth Kolbert’s take, in her new book
By Shannon Osaka 2/11/21
In Australia, scientists collect buckets of coral sperm, mixing one species with another in an attempt to create a new “super coral” that can withstand rising temperatures and acidifying seas. In Nevada, scientists nurse a…
Elon Musk, X Prize unveil $100 million carbon-capture contest
By Mike Wal Photo by Saul Martinez 2/9/21
Elon Musk wants your ideas about how to fight climate change — and he’s willing to pay top dollar for them. The billionaire SpaceX and Tesla chief and his Musk Foundation are funding a new…
NASA Satellites Help Quantify Forests’ Impacts on Global Carbon Budget
By Lara Streiff Photo: Malene Thyssen 2/04/2021
Using ground, airborne, and satellite data, a diverse team of international researchers – including NASA scientists – has created a new method to assess how the changes in forests over the past two decades have…
The Plan to Build a Global Network of Floating Power Stations
By Daniel Oberhaus Photo: Getty Images 1/11/21
A lot of thermal energy is trapped in the ocean. An ex-NASA researcher has figured out how it might generate unlimited clean power for aquatic robots.
Is It Time for an Emergency Rollout of Carbon-Eating Machines?
By Matt Simon Photo by Getty Images 1/26/21
The climate emergency demands that we dramatically and rapidly cut emissions. There’s no substitute for that, full stop. But it also demands a technological revolution to reverse years of out-of-control emissions: The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel…
As the planet warms faster, scientists study controversial ways to lower temperatures
By David Abel Photo by Arlan Naeg 01/17/2021
As the planet continues to warm at an accelerating rate, scientists are looking into a potential insurance policy, a radical way of curbing climate change by altering the climate system itself.
The Lasso Robot Wants to Make Recycling at Home Easier
By John Biggs Photo: Lasso 1/12/21
Recycling is important but it’s also a pain. Separating glass from plastic from paper isn’t a terrible task but what wouldn’t it be nicer if a robot did it instead? That’s why one inventor built…
Decarbonizing cities – how to harmonize buildings, mobility and infrastructure
By Francesco Starace and Jean-Pascal Tricoire Photo by Getty Images 1/11/21
An integrated approach is needed to fully decarbonize cities. Digitalization across buildings, mobility and energy infrastructure is key to achieving net zero carbon. Decarbonizing cities will not just benefit the environment, but also the jobs…
