Earth Wise

Meeting ambitious clean energy goals almost certainly requires the widespread adoption of battery energy storage to provide power on demand when sources like solar and wind power are not producing enough. California’s battery energy storage capacity now exceeds 21 GW, most of which has been installed in the past 7 years. By comparison, New York has only 80 MW of battery storage.

The series of intense heat waves over the European summer did not just result in unpleasant times for European citizens. The record-breaking heat resulted in more than 35,000 to 40,000 heat-related and excess deaths across the continent.

The world consumes over four billion tons of cement each year, making it second only to water as the most heavily consumed substance on Earth. Cement production creates roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions because it involves burning lots of fossil fuels to create the necessary heat to form it as well as because heating the limestone in it releases greenhouse gases.

The warming climate poses threats to the chocolate industry. Prolonged heat waves shrivel the leaves of cacao trees while dry spells impede pod growth and dry out soil moisture. Warmer temperatures favor destructive insects. These things threaten the livelihood of over 5 million farmers. Meanwhile, raw cacao prices continue to go up and up. The price of raw cacao tripled in 2024, raising consumer prices, leading to smaller bars, and reformulation of candies containing less chocolate.

Ohio has been one of the toughest regions in country for clean energy development, particularly solar power. Permits for construction are often blocked by local political opposition rather than technical faults. Much of the opposition is based on the notion that covering fields with solar panels destroys the rural and agricultural character of local communities. Ohio residents often voice concerns that solar installations may lower home values, create glare, and cause drainage issues.

Soil supports an enormous share of life on Earth. Soil stores water, carbon, and nutrients, supports agriculture, and provides habitat for countless organisms. Scientists estimate that more than half of Earth’s biodiversity exists below the surface. But soil biodiversity is declining, threatening agriculture, food security, and the ability of ecosystems to function properly.

The idea of making cookies from recycled plastic seems both ridiculous and quite unappetizing, but researchers at Southern Illinois University may actually make it possible.

Coyotes are canines native to North America, closely related to gray wolves but smaller. They are widely distributed and over the past century, coyotes have colonized every major metropolitan area in North America. Once they get a taste for city living, they happily forsake the wild. In cities, food is abundant and predators are scarce.

The need for curbside electric vehicle charging is increasing in dense cities because many urban drivers park on the street when they don’t have access to private home garages. Rideshare and taxi drivers want access to neighborhood charging so they don’t have to waste time traveling to distant charging stations.

According to United Nations estimates, more than two billion people around the world lack access to safely managed drinking water. As freshwater becomes increasingly scarce, communities from California to the Middle East are turning to desalination to convert seawater into drinking water.