greenhouse gas Archives – The Green Optimistic

Swiss Company Develops New Cow Feed to Cause Fewer Farts

Ally Munda — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 19:20:00 +0000

The cattle industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. First, the land needed to raise cattle can prompt deforestation. But an unexpected other effect of livestock agriculture is the industry’s a large carbon footprint, thanks to the cows themselves and the gas they pass. A single cow can produce the equivalent […]

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9 Percent Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Could Be Realized with Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 19:50:19 +0000

The additional materials, manufacturing, assembly, weight, electric consumption, and aerodynamic drag of a connected and autonomous vehicle’s sensors and computers were found to significantly increase its lifetime energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions – about 3 to 20 percent increase. This is according to a new study conducted by Ford Motor Company and the University […]

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Methane Emissions From Oil Production Much Higher Than Previously Estimated

Nicholas Say — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 12:38:22 +0000

Lena Höglund-Isaksson has some bad news: it turns out that global oil production released a lot more methane into the atmosphere than previously thought. A study she was the lead author of has just been published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, and in that study she blows the top off a decades old formula […]

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New Electrochemical Cell Can Make Synthetic Fuel

Courtney Lepping — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 05:26:52 +0000

Scientists at the University of Illinois may have found a way to move away from the use of fossil fuels and towards synthetically producing fuel via an electrochemical cell that houses three electrodes. This cell is designed to behave in similar ways that a plant would by gaining energy from light. Plants can easily produce […]

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Natural Gas Myths – Natural Gas is “Cleaner”

Benji Jerew — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 22:14:07 +0000

Compared to gasoline and diesel fuel, natural gas is definitely cleaner, and it’s fairly convenient to use in the same engines that fun liquid fuels, but what about lifecycle emissions? Thanks to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and quick-and-dirty business practices, not to mention the near-absence of regulation, natural gas is booming in many parts of the […]

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Undersea Methane Plumes – No Effect on Climate Change, Yet

Benji Jerew — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 22:18:03 +0000

There are a number of greenhouse gases (GHG) tied to climate change, and finding new sources of them is somewhat of a concern. We’re most familiar with carbon dioxide (CO2), but there are others, including methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ozone (O3), as well as a number of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). Many of these are […]

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Arctic Methane Could Accelerate Climate Change

Benji Jerew — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 20:13:13 +0000

Dr. Jason Box, who knows the Arctic well, says that methane escaping from the ocean floor in that area could accelerate climate change beyond anything we’ve yet encountered. Climate change, for some, may refer to the simple greenhouse effect driven by the release of carbon dioxide (CO2). Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as that. Far […]

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How Environment vs Economy Could be a Win-Win Situation

Benji Jerew — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 15:31:23 +0000

Every time someone, whether it be scientists, the federal government, or environment activists, suggest that we need to cut emissions and reduce pollution, the other side of the argument is always, “but it’ll ruin the economy!” The short answer to that retort is, perhaps reflected best in the words of Elon Musk (regarding hydrogen fuel […]

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Climate Change is Here and Now – National Climate Assessment

Benji Jerew — Wed, 07 May 2014 16:49:33 +0000

Some have said, about climate change, that it is something “their grandkids might suffer from.” The problem is that, since the beginning of the Industrial Age, basically mankind’s mass-application of fossil fuels, so much carbon dioxide (CO2) has been pumped into the atmosphere that it is affecting every part of our lives. Climate change, maybe […]

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Fracking Methane Emissions Much Higher than Estimated

Benji Jerew — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:52:52 +0000

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking,” has been hailed by some as the key to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, but condemned by others because the practice can be highly polluting. Could it be, as well, that fracking is actually responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the natural gas reduces? Theoretically, because natural gas in […]

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UIC Team Finds More Efficient Way to Convert Carbon Dioxide into Fuel

Danny Harper — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 07:15:40 +0000

The ease at which we can burn hydrocarbons to produce energy has led to huge gains in productivity and quality of life for millions, but it also coincides directly with the extreme rise in carbon dioxide emissions that we have been observing since the industrial revolution. This has led many in the scientific community to […]

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What is Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking), Anyways? [Video]

Benji Jerew — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 17:05:14 +0000

As petroleum reserves extracted by typical methods begin to run dry, many opportunistic petroleum companies have turned to hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas located in more difficult locations. Natural gas hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has become more common in the last decade or so, and a buzzword in political, economic, and environmental conversations, alike. […]

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France Paves the Way in Lowering CO2 Emissions

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 01:19:58 +0000

Scientists believe it’s still possible to reduce CO2 emissions by a whopping 50% globally by 2050, but only if countries take drastic measures – like the ones taken by France. France is the only country in the world that has successfully lowered greenhouse gas emissions over the past 30 years at a rate of 2% […]

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New Method Allows Accurate Measurement Of Urban Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Mila Luleva — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 17:00:07 +0000

Accurate monitoring of greenhouse gas concentrations in urban areas is the key to reducing emissions according to researchers from Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and their partners from several other universities. The team developed an innovative method called ‘The Indianapolis Flux’, or INFLUX, which puts together measurements of carbon dioxide, methane and carbon […]

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decreased by Changing Farming Practices

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 02:39:24 +0000

A new study by the scientists at the University of California, Davis has posited that the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide and the atmospheric pollutant nitric oxide could be reduced by changing farming practices. The purpose of the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was to use different microbial processes […]

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Increasing CO2 Levels Leading to Greater Temperature Rise Than Expected

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 04:32:36 +0000

In 2012, levels of carbon dioxide increased rapidly, making it clear that temperatures are going to rise beyond the 2 degrees Fahrenheit that scientists previously thought. Federal figures show that the CO2 rise is due primarily to the global economy ramping up and burning more fossil fuels that ever. China is the primary culprit. According […]

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9 Billion Tons of Carbon Can Be Reduced by Wireless Connected Devices According to AT&T

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 05:00:02 +0000

A new report from the nonprofit Carbon War Room along with AT&T purports that a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag might be device that ultimately leads the world to a greener economy. In fact, networked smart devices might have the potential to cut carbon by 20% while creating a whole new industry. In the coming […]

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Re-engineering Nature – Hot Topic at ARPA-E Conference

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 07:37:15 +0000

The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, or ARPA-E, began its three day conference in Washington, DC on Monday. Attendees included the best and brightest from across the US who proposed lots of innovative ideas. To date, the agency has spent $770 million on 285 cutting edge projects ARPA-E is the Energy Department’s Pentagon-like arm […]

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Methane Released from Wetlands Trees Contribute to Climate Change

Mila Luleva — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:37:39 +0000

Wetland areas are known to contain vast amounts of methane trapped in swaps and flooded forests. They are considered as ecosystems that are crucial for the maintaining of stable concentrations of the gas in the atmosphere. New research, conducted by Sunitha Pangala, a PhD student at The Open University, looks into alternative routes for this […]

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Daimler Calls Out Honeywell on New “Greener” Refrigerant for Safety Issues

Benji Jerew — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Refrigerators and air-conditioners are basically the same thing, a heat pump that transfers heat from one area to another. In the case of a vehicle air conditioning system, heat is transferred from the vehicle’s interior to the exterior. There are two sides to the system, separated by the compressor and the expansion valve, one high-pressure […]

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Earthworms Found Guilty of Increased Greenhouse Gas Pollution

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:58:07 +0000

If it’s not cows, it’s earthworms destroying our planet and its frail ecosystem. That’s what a team of researchers from the Netherlands, U.S. and Canada has decided by studying the results of 237 experiments involving earthworms – all of them. What they got was that (more or less) 20% of the global CO2 emissions and […]

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New York State to Sue EPA For Failure to Act on Methane Emissions

Benji Jerew — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 15:02:59 +0000

It is well known that the increasing occurrence of severe weather systems is caused by global warming, which, in turn, is driven by human industrialization. The recent superstorm Hurricane Sandy, on its own, probably wasn’t much of an indicator of climate change, but when seen as part of a pattern, it has become clear that […]

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Sorghum-Derived Ethanol Cuts Down Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 50%

Mila Luleva — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 20:38:43 +0000

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently added ethanol made from grain sorghum to the group of advanced biofuel. This news was particularly welcomed by companies in Kansas. The Western Plains Energy plant near Oakley is already developing strategies for making their ethanol become ‘advance biofuel’. The company invested in a methane digester utilizing waste. […]

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Greenhouse Gas and Black Carbon Tracking – an Issue for North America

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 12:14:06 +0000

Environmental officials and businesses have a very difficult time estimating the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures between countries or regions of North America due to completely different standards. To improve statistical comparability, Canada, Mexico, and the United States are trying to unify the standards for emissions data. The goal is to work through […]

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Sweden Reduces European Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Importing Waste

Mila Luleva — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:58:05 +0000

With all these heated discussions going on across Europe about handling and dumping waste, it is almost unbelievable that Sweden is facing the exact opposite problem- there is not enough garbage. The country has long history of recycling and incinerating waste, to the point that they have much more waste-to-energy incinerators than there is a […]

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Microbes Consume Nitrous Oxide, Reduce Amounts of Greenhouse Gases

Mila Luleva — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:22:49 +0000

It is interesting how not everyone is aware of the range of greenhouse gases that are harmful to the environment and could have devastating effects when released in the atmosphere. One of these not-so-well-known gases, yet 300 times more destructive to the ozone layer than carbon dioxide, is the nitrous oxide. It is released in […]

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Excess Greenhouse Gas Found Near Fracking Site in Queensland, Australia

Mila Luleva — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:58:11 +0000

Researchers from Southern Cross University found excess quantities of greenhouse gases in the area near Tara gas field in Queensland, Australia’s biggest coal seam gas field. Environmental scientists call for freezing the plans for hydraulic fracturing in the region until it is established whether this could contribute to climate change. The measured quantities are three […]

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“Cap-and-trade” Program Cuts Down California’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Mila Luleva — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:22:55 +0000

This coming Wednesday, California is going to go one step further in their fight against climate change. The state is hosting the first ever sale of carbon emissions permits, which hopefully will become a common practice in many other U.S states. The program is called “cap-and-trade”. The state sets limits (or cap) on quantities of […]

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GreenHouse Gases [GHG] vs [GDP] Gross Domestic Product

Benji Jerew — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:44:26 +0000

According to a recent study, greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions increase as the economy rises, but don’t seem to fall as drastically when the economy falters. Richard York, of University of Oregon, reviewed 48 years of data from more than 150 nations, statistics kept by World Bank. According to York, “Economic decline … doesn’t lead to […]

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CarbonSat: The New Ultra-Precise Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Satellite Designed by Astrium

Guest Contributor — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:44:01 +0000

A new climate-monitoring satellite is being designed by Europe’s leading aerospace company Astrium. CarbonSat, the new greenhouse gases trailer, is being prepared for the European Space Agency (ESA). The project is expected to continue over a span of another 22 months. ESA announced its resolution to grant Astrium a contract to design and make the […]

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Eat Less Meat, Produce Less N2O, Reduce Global Warming

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 07:07:59 +0000

Meat is one of the main food items consumed worldwide. The meat consumption of developed countries is relatively high than that of the developing countries. New studies have shown that meat consumption must be reduced in order to reduce their related greenhouse gas emissions. The most recent publications show that we must cut the meat […]

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U.N. Report Says 80% Energy Production From Renewables Possible by 2050

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:43:29 +0000

A recent United Nations report says that by 2050 up to 80 percent of the global energy could be supplied from alternative resources if public policies will come up with proper incentives.

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Bacteria-Stuffed Charcoal Biofilter Helps Reduce Ammonia Pollution in Factories

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:44:41 +0000

Industrial fertilizer production facilities produce ammonia, which is both toxic and odorous. Removing it from the air usually costs a lot, so better ways have to be found.

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Hydroelectric Dam Reservoirs Eat Up More CO2 Than They Produce, Unlike Previously Thought

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 07:47:12 +0000

Ten years ago, a report based on measurements taken at a hydroelectric plant in Brasil said that the gas (CO2 and methane) emissions of hydroelectric power (HEP) reservoirs account for 1 to 28% of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused by man. The report said that the CO2 and the methane came from the rotting organisms contained in the HEP reservoirs.

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Good News: Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Dropped by 1.1 Percent in 2009

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:08:22 +0000

Among the dozen of bad news that keep filling our mailboxes daily, we once in a while read something worth smiling at: the global greenhouse emissions generated by energy use dropped for the first time since 1998, by 1.1 percent. Through this, the economic crisis has its good actions, because it reduced the industrial production and fossil fuel consumption worldwide.

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Aegir: Scotland's Largest Wave Power Project

Cristi — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:01:26 +0000

Just recently, Scotland-based energy developer Pelamis has signed a joint-venture with the European energy giant Vattenfall, for the huge energy project off Scotland's Shetland Islands. The costs of the project rise to almost $100 million.

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Camelina: The Plant That Powered KLM's First Biofuel Plane

Cristi — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:23:15 +0000

Even though Virgin Atlantic has already made demonstration flights in the US using biofuels, no other company has made any steps towards alternative power sources until now. To prove that there is no risk in using a green fuel, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines from Europe also made their first flight with a Boeing 747.

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The Best Way to Generate Electricity from Pig Poop

Cristi — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:07:53 +0000

Hog farms, where thousands of animals are raised, look really horrible and they pollute rivers, poison groundwater supplies and releaseclouds of methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

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Thermeleon: Roof Turning from Black to White as Temperature Changes

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:44:30 +0000

While attending a competition for teams of MIT students, Making and Designing Materials Engineering Contest (MADMEC), a team of students and fresh-graduates have shown an invention that could turn the old roof tiles into chameleon-like tiles, turning from black to white and vice-versa as temperatures get low, respectively high.

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Solar Cooking "Kyoto Box" Reduces Pollution and Deforestation

Cristi — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 19:30:51 +0000

Jon Boehmer, a Norwegian based in Kenya, developed a solar powered cooker that can reduce greenhouse gases at a large scale. The cardbox named the "Kyoto Box", costs 5 Euro($ 6,60) to make, and is designed for the usage of 3 billion people that use firewood as a heating source for cooking.

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Why is our Earth warming up?

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:26:02 +0000

The concentration of carbon in living matter (18%) is almost 100 times greater than its concentration in the earth (0.19%). So living things extract carbon from their nonliving environment. For life to continue, this carbon must be recycled. That is our topic. Carbon exists in the nonliving environment as: carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere […]

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