Dozens of studies have demonstrated that nitrogen pollution, due mainly to the burning of fossil fuels and agricultural practices, is causing plant biodiversity losses worldwide.
But whether rising levels of climate-warming carbon dioxide gas are amplifying those nitrogen-induced biodiversity losses or dampening them remains unclear and is an understudied topic.
Findings of an ecologically realistic 24-year field study involving 108 experimental grassland plots in Minnesota provide an answer that doesn't bode well for biodiversity conservation efforts—at least for grasslands. The paper is published in the journal Nature.
During the most recent eight years of the study, experimentally elevated levels of carbon dioxide nearly tripled species losses attributed to the long-term application of simulated nitrogen pollution.
International Energy Agency Report Underscores Urgency of Fossil Fuel Phaseout as Electricity Demand Surges by Edward Carver
October 16, 2024
Introduction:
(Common Dreams) The International Energy Agency on Wednesday released a major report showing that the world's nations are not on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with 2030 targets and doing so will be made more difficult by growing demand for electricity.
The 398-page report, World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2024, is the latest in the IEA's flagship annual series, which is heavily cited by stakeholders across the world.
The report found that while renewables are entering the energy mix at an "unprecedented" rate—a record 560 gigawatts came online globally in 2023—the world's nations are on track to reduce emissions only by 3% from 2023 levels by 2030, rather than the 33% needed to meet agreed-upon targets. It also finds that the path to net zero by 2050 is "increasingly narrow."
"The world has the need and the capacity to go much faster," the report says.
The challenges to decarbonization include an increase in demand in electricity, especially in China and India.
Guide to Climate Action in Your Local Community by Cate Mingoya-LaFortune
October 18, 2024
Introduction:
(Wiki Observatory) Decades of unjust land use decisions have deliberately shaped and harmed communities. But there are concrete actions you can take to make positive changes.
Introduction
If you want to have a voice in how policy decisions are made and resources are distributed in your local community, the data you collect will be critical. Generally, before they commit to spending tax dollars on a new program or policy, local government agencies want to understand the scope and scale of the problem and how they will identify and measure the success of an intervention.
If a neighborhood has few trees, the urban forestry division might evaluate the number of spots suitable for new trees before it commits to planting. Once planted, the department might measure the number of surviving saplings five years later to assess success. Before installing protected bike lanes, the transportation division might evaluate the number of cyclists and motorists on the road over 12 months and then take the same measurements after the protected lanes are built to see if improved bike infrastructure has impacted how people get around.
However, municipalities don’t always consider all relevant data and information before launching an intervention, which can have disastrous consequences for the people living there or the intervention itself.
Policies are courses of action your municipality has chosen to adopt through guidelines, regulations, funding priorities, or laws. Everything in your neighborhood—from where the parking lots are located, how tall the buildings are, and which neighborhoods have street trees—stems from an intentional decision guided by policies. Sometimes, decisions were made a century ago, and sometimes, codified last week. Still, those decisions can be changed to reflect current or aspirational values and norm
Plant CO2 Uptake Rises by Nearly One Third in New Global Estimates October 21, 2024
Introduction:
(Eurekalert) Plants the world over are absorbing about 31% more carbon dioxide than previously thought, according to a new assessment developed by scientists. The research, detailed in the journal Nature, is expected to improve Earth system simulations that scientists use to predict the future climate, and spotlights the importance of natural carbon sequestration for greenhouse gas mitigation.
The amount of CO2 removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis from land plants is known as Terrestrial Gross Primary Production, or GPP. It represents the largest carbon exchange between land and atmosphere on the planet. GPP is typically cited in petagrams of carbon per year. One petagram equals 1 billion metric tons, which is roughly the amount of CO2 emitted each year from 238 million gas-powered passenger vehicles.
A team of scientists led by Cornell University, with support from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, used new models and measurements to assess GPP from the land at 157 petagrams of carbon per year, up from an estimate of 120 petagrams established 40 years ago and currently used in most estimates of Earth’s carbon cycle. The results are described in the paper, “Terrestrial Photosynthesis Inferred from Plant Carbonyl Sulfide Uptake.”
Researchers developed an integrated model that traces the movement of the chemical compound carbonyl sulfide, or OCS, from the air into leaf chloroplasts, the factories inside plant cells that carry out photosynthesis. The research team quantified photosynthetic activity by tracking OCS. The compound largely follows the same path through a leaf as CO2, is closely related to photosynthesis and is easier to track and measure than CO2 diffusion. For these reasons, OCS has been used as a photosynthesis proxy at the plant and leaf levels. This study showed that OCS is well suited to estimate photosynthesis at large scales and over long periods of time, making it a reliable indicator of worldwide GPP.
Chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C is 'virtually zero' on current trends, UN warns
Thursday 24 October 2024 15:16, UK
The chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C is "virtually zero" on current trends, according to the UN's environment body.
This year's Emissions Gap Report finds that emissions of greenhouse gasses in 2023 were the highest on record.
More concerning, the rate of growth since 2022 was nearly twice as fast as in the decade preceding the COVID pandemic.
This comes despite decades of climate talks and a boom in wind and solar power.
The analysis finds that the current trajectory in carbon emissions puts the world on course for a potentially catastrophic 3.1C of warming this century - compared to pre-industrial times.
A Former Utah Coal Town Could Soon Become a Hub for Low-carbon Cement by Maria Gallucci
October 23, 2024
Introduction:
(Canary Media) The city of Magna, Utah, was once the home of a major coal-fired power plant that provided electricity for Rio Tinto’s enormous copper mine next door. But in 2019, the company shuttered the last of the four coal units, opting instead to power its mining operations with wind and solar energy.
Now plans are underway to open a different kind of industrial facility in the former coal community, one that will use waste rocks from the Kennecott copper mine to help make low-carbon concrete.
On Tuesday, Terra CO2 Technology was picked to receive a $52.6 million federal grant to build a new manufacturing plant just west of Salt Lake City. The company has devised a method that turns common minerals into additives that can help replace Portland cement — a key component in concrete, and one of the most carbon-intensive materials in the world.
“Most of what we’re focused on is reducing the carbon footprint of cement and concrete,” Bill Yearsley, CEO of Terra CO2, told Canary Media. “But this is a unique situation at the Kennecott mine, because it’s also an opportunity to repurpose some mine tailings … and provide some real environmental benefits.”
The Utah facility is one of 14 projects provisionally selected this week to receive $428 million in total awards from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. The initiative, which is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aims to accelerate clean energy manufacturing in U.S. communities with decommissioned coal facilities. Officials said the projects are expected to create over 1,900 high-quality jobs across a dozen states.
Mount Fuji remains snowless for longer than ever before
29 October 2024, 13:20 GMT
Mount Fuji is still without snow, making it the latest time in the year the mountain has remained bare since records began 130 years ago.
The peaks of Japan's highest mountain typically get a sprinkling of snow by early October, but unusually warm weather has meant no snowfall has been reported so far this year.
In 2023 snow was first seen on the summit on 5 October, according to AFP news agency.
Japan had its joint hottest summer on record this year with temperatures between June and August being 1.76C (3.1F) higher than an average.
In September, temperatures continued to be warmer than expected as the sub-tropical jet stream's more northerly position allowed a warmer southerly flow of air over Japan.
Drought areas have trebled in size since 1980s, study finds
5 hours ago
The area of land surface affected by drought has trebled since the 1980s, a new report into the effects of climate change has revealed.
Forty-eight per cent of the Earth’s land surface had at least one month of extreme drought last year, according to analysis by the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change - up from an average of 15% during the 1980s.
Almost a third of the world - 30% - experienced extreme drought for three months or longer in 2023. In the 1980s, the average was 5%.
The new study offers some of the most up-to-date global data on drought, marking just how fast it is accelerating.
The threshold for extreme drought is reached after six months of very low rainfall or very high levels of evaporation from plants and soil - or both.
New studies about the Thwaites Glacier, also called the "Doomsday Glacier," have sparked a conversation about geoengineering as a climate change solution.
One study published in May and led by University of California Irvine and University of Waterloo scientists found that warming tidal currents are accelerating the Thwaites' melting and leading to quicker retreat than models have predicted, while another study published in August and led by researchers at Dartmouth College and University of Edinburgh found that the Thwaites may be less vulnerable to instability and collapse than previously thought.
With the fate of the Thwaites still uncertain, some scientists and engineers are turning to controversial ideas on how to alter the environment to slow glacier melt.
Understanding accelerated melt from warm tidal currents
The Thwaites Glacier is one of a line of glaciers sitting along the marine-facing rim of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS)—a massive bowl of ice nearly three times the size of Texas sitting in a basin below sea level in Western Antarctica. The only bulwarks that prevent the ocean from filling the basin and melting or dislodging the ice are the glaciers.
Over 2 billion in cities will be exposed to 0.5ºC rise by 2040
5 November 2024
“Almost no urban resident will be unaffected, with billions of people subjected to hotter temperatures or exposed to the risks of flooding and other threats,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
The report also highlights a significant funding gap for resilient urban infrastructure.
Cities overall need an estimated $4.5 to $5.4 trillion investment per year to build and maintain climate-resilient systems, yet current financing stands at just $831 billion — only a fraction of the required amount.
This shortfall leaves cities, and especially their most vulnerable populations, exposed to escalating risks.
Las Vegas, long known for its excess, is now emerging as a leader in sustainability through massive investments in solar power, water conservation, and energy-efficient resort operations.
Lucy Sherriff reports for the BBC.
High school students lead push for fossil-free investments
In short:
Las Vegas has invested millions in solar and water conservation, aiming for 50% renewable energy statewide by 2030.
Resorts on the Strip are implementing aggressive water-saving measures and building solar arrays, with some achieving 100% renewable energy.
Despite strides in sustainability, challenges remain with greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and the city's high air conditioning needs.
Key quote:
“It is gratifying for us to note that at one time Las Vegas was viewed as a city of waste and excess.”
— Marco Velotta, sustainability officer, City of Las Vegas.
UN Flips the Script on Climate Action With New Film and TV Committee
NOV 7TH 2024
Following the enthusiasm for the Climate Content Pledge launched at COP26, and building on the recent success of the Entertainment+ Culture Pavillions, the new initiative aims to harness the unparalleled power of entertainment to accelerate climate awareness and action on a global scale.
The Film and Television Steering Committee is a key component of the UN’s Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action (ECCA) alliance, which seeks to engage creative industries in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It is also part of the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) initiative, which aims to empower all members of society to engage in climate action through education, public awareness, training, public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation.
By uniting filmmakers, producers, and other entertainment professionals, the committee aims to promote sustainable production practices and foster storytelling that inspires climate awareness and action.
The development follows the recent formation of the Art Charter for Climate Action (ACCA) – the visual arts pillar of the ECCA alliance.
Together, these initiatives represent a long-awaited, and concerted effort to leverage culture to its full capacity in the fight against climate change. By bringing together behavioral scientists, media creators, and visual artists, the UN is taking steps to ensure that climate stories not only reach wide audiences but also lead to meaningful action.
