The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has unleashed their Special Report on the impact of global warming reaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
“This IPCC report is set to outline a rescue plan for humanity,”
“1.5°C is the new 2°C,”
If we stick to Paris Climate Agreement commitments, we could still see a global warming of about 3°C by 2100.
1,207 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists Are Building Earth’s “Digital Twin” To Help Prepare For Future Catastrophic Events
https://www.iflscience.com/technology/eu-announces-development-of-earths-simulated-digital-twin/
Scientists from the European Union have launched a new program to create a digital simulation of the entire Earth to model future climate trends and prepare for potentially catastrophic events. The project, called Destination Earth, is an extremely ambitious attempt to help efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050 and is expected to run for the next 10 years.
“Destination Earth (DestinE) will contribute to the European Commission’s Green Deal and Digital Strategy,” states the press release.
“It will unlock the potential of digital modelling of the Earth’s physical resources and related phenomena such as climate change, water / marine environments, polar areas and the cryosphere, etc. on a global scale to speed up the green transition and help plan for major environmental degradation and disasters.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/transportation/marine/why-the-shipping-industry-is-betting-big-on-ammonia
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/the-gulf-stream-is-at-its-weakest-for-more-than-a-thousand-years/
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Nuclear has actually been safer than any other source of generation.”
Bill Gates: Nuclear power will ‘absolutely’ be politically acceptable again — it’s safer than oil, coal, natural gas
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/25/bill-gates-nuclear-power-will-absolutely-be-politically-acceptable.html?utm_content=makeit&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1614363935
Nuclear energy will “absolutely” be politically palatable, billionaire philanthropist, technologist and climate change evangelist Bill Gates recently told Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Nuclear power has to overcome a baneful reputation garnered by association with the atomic bomb and radioactive disasters, but it’s a necessary, worthy and surmountable challenge to correct the naysayers, according to Gates.
That’s because the need for clean energy is dire, and the operation of nuclear power plants produces no greenhouse gas emissions. According to Gates, new innovations in nuclear technology (in which he is an investor) are making nuclear energy safer and more affordable, and countries around the world are starting to adopt nuclear power.
Nuclear energy is safer than coal, oil, natural gas
Nuclear energy has long had reputation of being dangerous: Early innovations in nuclear power were made in furtherance of the nuclear bomb, and in more recent decades, there have been high-profile disasters like the Chernobyl plant meltdown in 1986 in Ukraine and the the Fukushima Daiichi plant accident in 2011 in Japan.
But while the disasters get a lot of attention, Gates points to the relative safety of nuclear power over time.
“Nuclear has actually been safer than any other source of [power] generation,” Gates told Sorkin. “You know, coal plants, coal particulate, natural gas pipelines blowing up. The deaths per unit of power on these other approaches are — are far higher,” Gates said, a fact he also references in his new book, “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kiinteistöissä kuluvan energian kokonaishallinta on tähän saakka ollut ei-kenenkään-maa.
Lue kuinka Fidelixin ja Futuricen kehittämä Fidelix flow_how tuo tähän ratkaisun ensimmäisten joukossa koko maailmassa.
Hiilineutraalius-tavoitteet saavutetaan vain hillitsemällä kiinteistöjen elinkaaren aikaisia päästöjä
https://news.fidelix.fi/ajankohtaista/hiilineutraaliustavoitteet?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=fi-blog-content&hsa_acc=637949576677623&hsa_cam=23846660746260226&hsa_grp=23846660746270226&hsa_ad=23847082628230226&hsa_src=fb&hsa_net=facebook&hsa_ver=3&fbclid=IwAR0I1exiMYQAMuf05pqh9gfBm2bgm1HnNCazgU0IoelXk1-cyulP9tItBik
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/mediterranean-wineries-are-climate-hotspot-climatologists-are-helping-them-adapt.html?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=wine
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/03/fueling-with-ammonia/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/03/using-phase-change-materials-for-energy-storage/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Considering geological and biological processes and the activity of the Sun, Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere will last only another billion years.
Earth’s Oxygen-Rich Atmosphere Will Last Only Another Billion Years
https://trib.al/igaxPmd
Life is thriving on planet Earth thanks to oxygen. Oxygen is a highly reactive element; it can form compounds with nearly every other element on the periodic table, releasing energy in the process. In a process known as cellular respiration, organisms use oxygen to oxidize substrates (for example sugars and fats) and generate energy.
Scientists all agree that life cannot go on forever on planet Earth. As the aging sun grows hotter, oceans on Earth will evaporate and the atmosphere will escape into space. Eventually, the sun will run out of energy and destroy itself together with the inner planets, including Earth.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Icelandic Bank Is First To Provide Customers With New Carbon Footprint Tracker
https://www.forbes.com/sites/heatherfarmbrough/2021/03/04/icelandic-bank-is-first-to-provide-customers-with-new-carbon-footprint-tracker/
Meniga’s API tools will show the precise carbon footprint for each transaction, and how a customer’s carbon profile will vary depending on the nature of their expenditure.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Näin muovijätevuoresta syntyy uusia shampoopulloja – intialainen startup keksi, miten maailma ei ehkä sittenkään huku jätteisiin
Eteläintialainen teknologiakaupunki pyrkii maailman nopeimmin kasvavaksi innovaatiokeskukseksi.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11794384
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: World Needs Equivalent Of Pandemic Lockdown Every Two Years To Meet Paris Carbon Emission Goals
https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/03/03/report-world-needs-equivalent-of-pandemic-lockdown-every-two-years-to-meet-paris-carbon-emission-goals/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/03/09/suomi-valjastaa-bitit-ilmastonmuutoksen-torjuntaan/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The pandemic shutdown and ensuing drops in carbon emissions will have little long-term effect on the fight against climate change, studies show.
Report: World Needs Equivalent Of Pandemic Lockdown Every Two Years To Meet Paris Carbon Emission Goals
https://trib.al/ljGd3lP
The dramatic drop in global carbon emissions seen during the early days of the pandemic and global shutdowns would need to be matched every two years for the rest of the decade in order to meet the goals outlined in the Paris climate agreement, according to a new study, though the authors don’t recommend that the world rely on “lockdowns” to help battle climate change.
Published in Nature Climate Change, the report found that carbon emissions fell by about 2.6 billion metric tons in 2020, or roughly a 7% drop from the previous year, a historic decrease.
However, researchers said further drops in carbon output—1 billion to 2 billion metric tons per year—are needed for global emissions to meet the safe worldwide temperature range defined by the Paris Agreement to dodge the effects of climate change.
That’s roughly the equivalent of a coronavirus-pandemic-scale lockdown once every two years, researchers said.
Despite causing the swift drop in emissions, researchers wrote the lockdowns will not yield lasting improvement because the measures had little effect on the larger fossil fuel-based infrastructure that sustains the global economy.
Researchers wrote the course of global emissions could be redirected if world governments invest in green energy and divest from fossil fuels in the years after the pandemic.
“We have failed to understand in the past that we can’t have tackling climate change as a side issue. It can’t be about one law or policy, it has to be put at the heart of all policy,” the study’s lead author, Corinne Le Quéré, told The Guardian. “Every strategy and every plan from every government must be consistent with tackling climate change.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/08/sea-level-how-do-we-measure-global-ocean-levels-and-do-rising-oceans-change-that-benchmark/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The study predict that if nothing is done to curb greenhouse gas emissions, then summers could reach half a year in length by the end of this century.
Summers Could Be Six Months Long In The Northern Hemisphere By 2100, Scientists Warn
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/summers-could-be-six-months-long-in-the-northern-hemisphere-by-2100-scientists-warn/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/17-previously-extinct-european-plant-species-brought-out-of-extinction/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Carbon Engineering inks Shopify as its first partner for carbon removal as a service
https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/09/carbon-engineering-inks-shopify-as-its-first-partner-for-carbon-removal-as-a-service/?tpcc=ECFB2021
Carbon Engineering is moving ahead with its carbon removal service business, allowing customers to buy the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using its direct air capture technology.
The launch of the service, and the announcement that Shopify will be the company’s first customer, comes as the company’s most direct competitor, Climeworks, made moves of its own — striking a deal with the Swedish sequestration services company Northern Lights to move forward with its own direct air capture as a service offering.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A total of $1.26 trillion in revenue losses is anticipated for suppliers within the next five years due to climate change, deforestation, and water insecurity.
Climate Change Will Cost Companies $1.3 Trillion By 2026
https://trib.al/9niIHXF
While the impacts of Covid-19 became the forefront of disruptive forces experienced within the past year, this period of unprecedented havoc also bred growing concerns around environmental anomalies, among other geopolitical issues.
Supply chains remain particularly exposed to unforeseen vulnerabilities, causing leaders to consider more resilient approaches to adapt to this new converged reality. A greater emphasis on business continuity and long-term, sustainable strategies are new priorities for leaders to stabilize financial and operational performance while tackling the ever-changing socioeconomic and geopolitical landscapes during these times.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Currently, eight supply chains account for more than 50% of global emissions: food, construction, fashion, fast-moving consumer goods, electronics, automotive, professional services, and freight. As a result, supply chain emissions are 11.4 times higher than operational (Scope 1) emissions. However, if supply chains can cut emissions by 619 million tC02e, then they can save $33.7 billion in return, according to WEF.
https://trib.al/9niIHXF
Tomi Engdahl says:
Eying sustainability gains for its supply chain, BMW backs Boston Metal’s CO2-free iron production tech
https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/12/eying-sustainability-gains-for-its-supply-chain-bmw-backs-boston-metals-co2-free-iron-production-tech/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/in-1-billion-years-dwindling-oxygen-levels-may-suffocate-life-on-earth/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tutkimus paljasti energiaa säästävän teknologian paradoksin: Se voi johtaa energian kulutuksen kasvuun
https://tekniikanmaailma.fi/tutkimus-paljasti-energiaa-saastavan-teknologian-paradoksin-se-voi-johtaa-energian-kulutuksen-kasvuun/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The world of plant-based meats has been taking off the past few years and this has many in the farming industry worried.
Alternative Meats Bringing Uncertain Future For Cattle Farmers
https://trib.al/lS9w0E1
The world of plant-based meats has been taking off the past few years and this has many in the farming industry worried. The trend of moving away from the traditional burger intensified earlier this month, when it was announced that McDonalds and Yum! Brands had signed a three-year partnership with the alternative meat company, Beyond Meat. Yum!’s chain of restaurants includes the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains.
A recent study on the economic impact of the alternative meat industry found that the plant-based food market is expected to reach $74.2 billion by 2027. The financial services company Barclays estimates the market for alternative meat could grow by 1,000% over the next 10 years, reaching $140 billion.
This popularity has been fueled by environmental and climate change reasons as well as animal welfare concerns and a general interest in health and wellness.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://simoruohon.wordpress.com/2021/03/16/hiilidioksidin-hintalappu-on-5000-miljardia-euroa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Design Solutions For The Heat Crisis In Cities Around The World
https://hackaday.com/2021/03/16/design-solutions-for-the-heat-crisis-in-cities-around-the-world/
It was 1999 when Smash Mouth dropped the smash hit All Star, stating “The ice we skate is getting pretty thin, the water’s getting warm so you might as well swim.” Since then, global temperatures have continued to rise, with no end in sight. Political will has been unable to make any grand changes, and the world remains on track to blow through the suggested hard limits set by scientists.
As a result, heatwaves have become more frequent, and of greater intensity, putting many vulnerable people at risk and causing thousands of deaths each year. This problem is worse in cities, where buildings and roads absorb more heat from the sun than natural landscapes do. This is referred to as the heat island effect, with cities often being several degrees warmer than surrounding natural areas. It’s significant enough that experts are worried some cities could become uninhabitable within decades. Obviously, that’s highly inconvenient for those currently living in said cities. How bad is the problem, and what can be done?
Cities like Sydney, Australia are starting to face ambient summer temperatures of up to 50°C, which can be unbearable to exist outside in for more than a few minutes. Worse, surface temperatures can far exceed this level.
Bitumen roads and carparks can hit 80°C, which among other things, makes it very hard to walk back to your car at the beach. Playgrounds have seen even higher surface temperatures, potentially causing burns to unsuspecting children out on a hot day. With temperatures this high, simple solutions like fans fail to make much difference; powerful air conditioning is the key to surviving summer. Many elect to visit shopping centres for extended periods if their homes aren’t suitably equipped.
However, it’s not a problem that can simply be air-conditioned away. The power grid isn’t always up to the strain, particularly in developing countries, and the increased energy use only further drives carbon emissions into the atmosphere, potentially exacerbating the problem. Instead, cities must look to deal with the excess heat in other ways. There are two main ways to attack the problem — reducing the temperature level, and adapting the city to better deal with excessive heat.
Reducing Heat Through Building Materials and Green Spaces
Reducing the temperature level can be done with simple techniques, but achieving a large effect is difficult. Covering roofs with lighter colored or more heat-reflective materials can make a difference, by reducing the amount of heat absorbed by a building and thus re-radiated into the surrounding environment.
Designing for Hotter Conditions
Regardless of the measures taken, none are cheap or a silver bullet. Some cities will rise to the challenge, while others will see population outflows as residents seek comfort in more liveable spaces. Humanity has abandoned cities to ruin before, and it will likely happen again — but for an altogether new reason this time
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2020/12/17/miten-koota-vastuullinen-ruokakassi-kuluttajan-harteille-asetetaan-suurta
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sami Fathi / MacRumors:
Apple says it has generated 1.2 GW of clean energy and removed an average of 921K metric tons of carbon emissions annually, as part of its $4.7B Green Bond — In a press release today, Apple touted the significant progress it has made as part of its $4.7 billion Green Bond.
Apple Touts Progress of $4.7 Billion Clean Energy Investment
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/03/17/apple-green-energy-bond/?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Visiot ovat muuttumassa todeksi juuri nyt: Vihreä vety on tuomassa ennennäkemätöntä mullistusta Suomen teollisuuteen ja energian tuotantoon
Kymmenet suomalaisyhtiöt haluavat yhdessä saada vauhtia vetytalouteen, jonka sääntöjä muovataan juuri nyt.
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11841773
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Rich Countries Must Help Developing Economies Afford The Clean Energy Transition
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2021/03/16/can-emerging-countries-afford-to-make-the-clean-energy-transition/
It’s hard enough for rich industrialized countries to tackle carbon reduction goals. For emerging economies to do the same can be downright daunting. But rich or poor, it must be done. That’s the sentiment from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which is helping countries move from dirty energy forms to cleaner and lower-carbon ones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/qa-we-need-non-critical-raw-materials-green-tech-flourish.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Creepy crawly or vital part of a vibrant ecosystem? How people’s attitudes to insects are changing
People have started to care about insects. Now we need action, say experts
https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/people-have-started-care-about-insects-now-we-need-action-say-experts.html?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=insects
‘If you had asked me this question four years ago, I would have given you a totally different answer.’
Professor David Kleijn, an ecologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, is talking about the change in people’s feelings towards insects. Traditionally, the relationship has been far from a comfortable one, but Prof. Kleijn notes signs that things are improving.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Food for the future in a degrading biosphere
https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-020-00550-w?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ncaf-EventReport_Hayashibara&fbclid=IwAR3-B3MzL9tL9FRkG1oRKvteO-cIdOSa_fZ2eoCAidDyiOOl4XTXRiS4gwo
Working to feed the world healthy, sustainable food, now and in the future, will be a mammoth undertaking. At a recent Nature Café, experts gathered to learn from each other the methods being tested to achieve this important goal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://forums.tms.sx/threads/shell-ad-meats-cif-ad.41231/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digitalization with 5G enables further acceleration of climate action
https://www.ericsson.com/en/blog/2021/1/digitalization-5g-climate-action
Digital technology may be our most powerful, scalable tool to tackle climate change. With 2020 showing digitalization can be rapidly accelerated, the same will be true when it comes to CO2 reductions. 5G opens up these new opportunities – why not use it to reach our goals faster?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Capturing the Renewable Energy Shift
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/capturing-the-renewable-energy-shift/
Tomi Engdahl says:
“It’s direct evidence that human activities are causing changes to Earth’s energy budget.”
Earth’s Energy Budget Is Out Of Whack And It’s Definitely Humanity’s Fault
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/earths-energy-budget-is-out-of-whack-and-its-definitely-humanitys-fault/
Earth is constantly trying to balance the energy that comes from the Sun and the energy that our planet releases back into space. Since the industrial revolution, humanity has been throwing this energy budget off-balance, adding greenhouse gases that trap more radiation.
Adding these greenhouse gases leads to what is known as radiative forcing. Evidence for this phenomenon has been established by studying the greenhouse gases’ concentrations and surface temperature changes over the last 150 years, but not directly. In a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, scientists report the first direct observations of the increasing global radiative forcing.
“This is the first calculation of the total radiative forcing of Earth using global observations, accounting for the effects of aerosols and greenhouse gases,”
Since 1997, thanks to NASA’s Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), scientists have been able to measure how much energy is coming from the Sun and how much energy Earth is reflecting back into space. This kind of data can track the changes to the energy budget, but not the cause of radiative forcing.
depending on how much moisture there is in the atmosphere, the amount of energy that leaves the Earth will be different.
They showed that radiative forcing has increased by 0.5 Watts per square meter from 2003 to 2018. This is mostly due to increases in greenhouse gas emission, but the reduction of reflective aerosols also plays a part according to the researchers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Shell invests in LanzaJet to speed up deliveries of its synthetic aviation fuel
https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/06/shell-invests-in-lanzajet-to-speed-up-deliveries-of-its-synthetic-aviation-fuel/?tpcc=ECFB2021
The energy giant Shell has joined a slew of strategic investors including All Nippon Airways, Suncor Energy, Mitsui, and British Airways in funding LanzaJet, the company commercializing a process to convert alcohol into jet fuel.
A spin-off from LanzaTech, one of the last surviving climate tech startups from the first cleantech boom that’s still privately held, LanzaJet is taking a phased investment approach with its corporate backers, enabling them to invest additional capital as the company scales to larger production facilities.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Selvitys: Eläintuotteita korvaavien proteiinien markkina kasvaa rajusti vuoteen 2035 mennessä – maku vastaa lihaa jo lähivuosina
Korvaavat proteiinit ottavat 11–22 prosentin osuuden lihan ja muiden eläinperäisten tuotteiden markkinasta, ennustavat Boston Consulting Group ja Blue Horizon.
https://www.hs.fi/talous/art-2000007902632.html?share=49ca3e14997334de50d3a5fbe5daad2f
Tomi Engdahl says:
Record-Breaking Carbon Dioxide Detected In The Atmosphere Last Month
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/recordbreaking-carbon-dioxide-detected-in-the-atmosphere-last-month/
The latest measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide show that humanity has broken another grim record of the climate crisis. On average, March had 50 percent more carbon dioxide in the air than before the Industrial Revolution.
Despite lower emissions in 2020, the increase is remarkable. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the air varies month by month, peaking around May. Last May, researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography measured 417.1 parts per million (ppm) of CO2 in the air. Crossing for the first time 417 ppm threshold equivalent to a 50 percent increase compared to the average value between 1750 and 1800.
Now, March 2021 has crossed that even further, recording on average 417.14 ppm for the month. The human-released carbon dioxide is on course to peak at 419.5 ± 0.6 ppm in May as was predicted a few months ago.
“Even during the COVID-19 pandemic we have still been emitting CO2 and this is increasing the amount of the greenhouse gas held in the atmosphere. Since pre-industrial times we have increased CO2 in the atmosphere by about 50 percent and this has led to 1.2°C global warming. If we are to meet the Paris Agreement and keep global warming well below 2°C we have our work cut out for us. Rapid and substantial CO2 emissions reductions are needed to avoid the worst climate change impacts,” Dr Andrew King, a Climate Researcher from the University of Melbourne not involved in the measurement, said in a statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Likaista vihreää energiaa
https://areena.yle.fi/1-50482461
Sähköautojen, tuuli- ja aurinkovoiman toivotaan korvaavan polttomoottorit ja tekevän energiantuotannosta hiilineutraalia. Mutta suuret akut vaativat raaka-aineita, joita kaivetaan ympäristöstä ja työntekijöiden terveydestä piittaamatta. (2021)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mahtikoneita ja ilmastoihmeitä
Ratkaisuja maapallon pelastamiseksi
https://areena.yle.fi/1-50758674
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mahtikoneita ja ilmastoihmeitä – keksintöjä maapallon pelastamiseksi
https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2021/03/24/mahtikoneita-ja-ilmastoihmeita-keksintoja-maapallon-pelastamiseksi
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hot electrons send CO2 back to the future
Catalyst nanoparticles trap an unprecedented range of wavelengths of light to convert carbon dioxide into methane.
https://discovery.kaust.edu.sa/en/article/1078/hot-electrons-send-co2-back-to-the-future?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cpub-2021Q2&fbclid=IwAR0bCm2bsn-mqbAVi40VJW8iKR487oUYhZXN3MAE_f6wPJPoDNmjtF3eEQ0
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major driver of global warming, but this gas could also serve as a valuable resource. Researchers at KAUST have developed an efficient catalyst that uses light energy to convert CO2 and hydrogen into methane (CH4). This counteracts the release of CO2 when methane is burned as a fuel.
Many researchers worldwide are exploring ways to convert CO2 into useful carbon-based chemicals, but their efforts have been limited by low efficiencies that restrict the potential for large-scale application.
“Our approach is based on the synergistic combination of light and heat, known as the photothermal effect,”
The KAUST research demonstrates that the reaction can be achieved using just the photothermal effect of daylight.
The catalyst is built from nickel nanoparticles on a layer of barium titanate. It captures the light in a way that kicks electrons into high energy states, known as “hot electrons”. These electrons then initiate the chemical reaction that sends CO2 back into methane. Under optimum conditions, the catalyst generates methane with nearly 100 percent selectivity and with impressive efficiency.
A major advantage is the wide range of the spectrum of light harnessed, including all visible wavelengths, in addition to the ultraviolet rays that many catalysts are restricted to.
Any fuels made from CO2 would still release that gas when they are burned, but the CO2 could be repeatedly recycled from the atmosphere to fuel and back again, rather than being continually released by burning fossil fuels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“In our experiment, the new paint doubles the cooling power of the previous one,” senior author Professor Xiulin Ruan from Purdue University told IFLScience.
Scientists Create Whitest Paint In The World That Could Help Us Fight Global Warming
https://www.iflscience.com/technology/scientists-create-whitest-paint-in-the-world-that-could-help-us-fight-global-warming/
Last October, scientists announced the creation of ultra-white paint so reflective it could be used to keep surfaces and even entire buildings cool. That breakthrough really pushed the envelope on new ways to fight global warming. Now, they’ve produced an even whiter paint.
The ultra-white paints are considered the opposite of vantablack, which absorbs 99.9 percent of light. They reflect so much light that a surface painted with them actually ends up being cooler than the ambient temperature around them.
The paint revealed in October was based on calcium carbonate (CaCO3), the mineral that makes chalk. It had a reflectance of about 95.5 percent, meaning that less than 5 percent of sunlight hitting it would be absorbed as heat.
The new one, detailed in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, uses barium sulfate instead, something that is already employed commercially in paper and cosmetics. The team estimates that 98.1 percent of sunlight is reflected back by the new paint, meaning only 1.9 percent of heat is absorbed.
“In our experiment, the new paint doubles the cooling power of the previous one,”
Tests have shown that during strong sunlight noon hours material covered in the new paint was 4.4°C (8°F) cooler than ambient temperature. At night, the material kept a temperature of 10.5°C (19°F) below the surrounding areas.
This extraordinary ability to cool could be a game-changer in the fight against global warming. This paint could be used to cool buildings instead of air conditioners.
“In contrast, our paint does not consume any power, and directly sends off all the heat to the deep space, hence helping cooling down the Earth. According to a previous model, painting 0.5-1% of the Earth’s surface (roofs, roads, cars, unused land, etc) with our paint will stop the warming trend.”
While painting that fraction of the Earth’s surface might be very difficult, employing the paint on human-made structures could still have a major impact. The team has shown that the barium sulfate paint can handle outdoor conditions and is compatible with standard commercial paint processes. A patent has also been filed for the paint.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hiilidioksidipäästöt pomppaavat yli viidellä prosentilla, kun Kiina polttaa hiiltä – ja toisaalta rakentaa uusiutuvia
Pandemian mukanaan tuoma helpotus kasvihuonekaasupäästöihin on pian pelkkä muisto vain.
https://www.iltalehti.fi/ulkomaat/a/aceb92c6-fcf7-4caf-92d4-a287c2682d3b
Kansainvälinen energiajärjestö IEA arvioi, että maailman hiilidioksidipäästöt kasvavat tänä vuonna 33 miljardiin tonniin, mikä on liki viiden prosentin nousu viime vuoteen verrattuna. Päästöjen määrän odotetaan silti jäävän vuoden 2019 tason alapuolelle.
Kasvua ajaa erityisesti hiilen lisääntyvä käyttö, IEA:n johtaja Fatih Birol sanoi tiedotteessa.
– Tämä on vakava varoitus siitä, että talouden elpyminen koronakriisistä on tällä hetkellä kaikkea muuta kuin ilmastokestävää, Birol totesi.
Hiilen käyttö kasvaa 4,5 prosentilla ja yli vuoden 2019 tason. Tästä kasvaneesta kysynnästä neljä viidesosaa on Aasiassa, eritoten Kiinassa, mutta myös Yhdysvalloissa ja Euroopassa hiilivoiman kulutus lisääntyy.
Uusiutuvan energian tuotanto pomppaa peräti yli kahdeksalla prosentilla. Tuuli- ja aurinkovoiman vuotuinen kasvu on käsittämättömät 17 prosenttia. Maailmanlaajuisesti uusiutuvilla energianlähteillä tuotetaan tänä vuonna arviolta 30 prosenttia maailman energiasta. Puolet uusiutuvien kasvusta on Kiinan ansiota.
Öljyn kulutus sen sijaan jäänee vielä pandemiaa edeltävän tason alle, kun ilmailualan toipuminen on hidasta.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The change is so big it has shifted the axis of the Earth.
Earth’s Axis Has Shifted Due To Climate Change, Study Reveals
https://www.iflscience.com/environment/earths-axis-has-shifted-due-to-climate-change-study-reveals/
Human-driven climate change has increased glacier melting in polar regions for decades. By the 1990s, the redistribution of water on Earth’s surface due to glacial melt was enough to drive a shift in the planet’s axis, a new study has shown.
The findings, published in Geophysical Research Letters have immediate consequences for all Earth and space sciences.
“The faster ice melting under global warming was the most likely cause of the directional change of the polar drift in the 1990s,” said lead author Shanshan Deng in a statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/04/26/blocking-out-the-sun-viable-climate-countermeasure-or-absolute-madness/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The effect of Antarctic ice loss on sea levels has been significantly underestimated by previous research, a new study from Harvard University shows.
Sea Levels Could Rise Even More Than Feared As Antarctic Ice Sheet Melts
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2021/04/30/sea-levels-could-rise-even-more-than-feared-as-antarctic-ice-sheet-melts/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12108-kiina-on-ylivoimainen-uusiutuvien-energioiden-kaytossa