Earth Wise

Hydrogen is an ideal climate-friendly fuel because it doesn’t release carbon dioxide when it is used.  But most hydrogen is produced in ways that result in significant carbon emissions. Thus, the search for green hydrogen goes on.  Last year, engineers at MIT developed a new process for making hydrogen that significantly reduces the carbon footprint […]

As climate change accelerates, rising sea levels are putting coastal communities at greater risk of flooding and storm surge. Driven by melting glaciers and warming oceans, global sea levels are rising at an increasing rate. For low-lying cities like New Orleans, even small increases can have serious consequences. And that risk is compounded by another […]

Ocean shipping is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, accounting for about 3% of the total.  It is a key part of international trade, moving goods like electronics, automobiles, and oil.  It relies on fossil fuels, and, without significant changes, shipping’s emissions could more than double by 2050.  Ocean shipping is one of the […]

Honeybees are a critical resource for American agriculture.  The western honeybee, Apis mellifera, pollinates more than 130 types of nuts, fruits, and vegetables, adding up to $15 billion worth of crops every year.  Honeybee health has been harmed by a combination of factors:  weather extremes, habitat loss, pesticides, and disease.  One of the biggest problems […]

Hotter and drier conditions driven by climate change are leading to an increasing number of wildfires in North America and around the world. The damage wildfires cause – to forests, homes, and communities – is well-known. But long after the flames are gone, the effects can linger, especially in rivers and streams, where water quality […]

An important part of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is reducing the use of coal to produce electricity.  Coal is the dirtiest fuel in common use and not burning it is a way to greatly reduce emissions.  Ten years later, coal consumption around the world has decreased dramatically.  The most convenient alternative to coal is […]

TfL – Transport for London – the operator of the transportation system in Britain’s capital city, has signed a deal with EDF Renewables to purchase electricity from a huge solar array to be erected next year in Essex.  TfL has the goal of powering 100% of its entire transit system – including its sprawling underground […]

Tropical forests are dying at an alarming rate, and not just from deforestation. Even intact forests are losing trees, threatening biodiversity, carbon storage, and the global climate. While drought and rising temperatures are often blamed, new research points to a surprising culprit: thunderstorms. These intense, short-lived convective storms, common in the tropics, are increasing due […]

June and July have both seen multiple days with temperatures in the 90s in London, England.  This is almost unheard of, but according to British scientists, record-breaking extreme weather has become the new norm in the UK. Weather records show that the UK’s climate is different now compared with just a few decades ago.  The […]

The Trump Administration is outwardly hostile to renewable energy, especially solar and wind power.  Federal support for these energy sources that are by far the most rapidly growing energy sources across the globe is being gutted while fossil fuels are being propped up. There is also renewed enthusiasm for nuclear power and, somewhat surprisingly, geothermal […]