The construction industry has long been associated with negative environmental impacts, largely due to its heavy reliance on natural resources and high energy consumption. The industry heavily relies on concrete in many parts of the world. However, the energy usage required for the extraction of natural resources, production of cement and concrete, and
By avoiding deforestation, globally protected areas store roughly one year’s worth of global fossil fuel emissions, compared to otherwise unprotected areas. That’s the conclusion of a recently published study that sought to calculate the carbon benefits of preserving forests and other landscapes. Brazil’s Amazon has the highest rate of carbon stock of protected
In Massachusetts and elsewhere, advocates and policymakers are increasingly turning their attention to “embodied carbon” contained in building materials. Massachusetts lawmakers and municipal leaders are increasingly pushing for measures that would lower the greenhouse gas emissions associated with building materials. “We’ve seen a lot of new interest and momentum,” said Rebecca Esau, manager
Wastewater treatment plants are typically overlooked when it comes to reducing greenhouse gasses, but new research from Princeton University reveals the plants emit twice as much methane as previously thought. Methane is a particularly potent greenhouse gas and the treatment plants should be part of any plan to reduce emissions, according to the
Enhanced tree growth could significantly offset carbon emissions, but some researchers say it’s not enough to compete with forest disturbances. In the world’s cold northern forests, climate change is altering the pace of life. Under warming temperatures, the average boreal tree will grow about 20% faster by the 2050s, a new study suggested.
A new report chalks out pathways for the United States to heavily reduce the amount of mined lithium it needs to decarbonize transportation and sidestep “irreversible harms” to water, air, and animal habitats—especially near Indigenous lands. “The question is not whether we decarbonize the transportation sector, but how we decarbonize it,” the report’s
A clever series of presentation slides at a conference in Ottawa last week placed small communities at the centre of the energy transition and spotlighted Prince Edward Island as Canada’s next source of breakaway climate leadership. With a population of 161,455 and just 1.6 million tonnes of emissions in 2020—less than a quarter
Better accounting can go a long way in establishing sound policy to tackle the climate crisis. The Environmental Protection Agency recently earned applause from environmental groups for a move that went largely unnoticed. For the first time, the U.S. government in 2022 included methane emissions from dams and reservoirs in its annual report
Denmark’s biggest bank has declared an end to fossil fuel financing, after concluding that 99.9% of its carbon footprint comes from financed emissions. Danske Bank supports “an orderly transition to low-carbon economies and will, for that reason, not offer refinancing or new long-term financing to oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) companies
Cover crops have gained elite status as a way for farmers to fight climate change. But a closer look at the growing body of research raises questions about their ability to lower greenhouse gas emissions. It’s one thing the Biden administration, agribusiness leaders, soil scientists and environmentalists all agree on: farmers across the