carbon emissions

Science

The U.S. is divided over whether nuclear power is part of the green energy future

2:03am January 18, 2022

by The Associated Press

Nuclear power is emerging as an answer as states transition away from coal, oil and natural gas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stave off climate change.

Activists protesting "greenwashing," in which a company or government appears to do more for the environment than it is, gather outside the JP Morgan premises near the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit.

Carbon trading gets a green light from the U.N., and Brazil hopes to earn billions

8:16pm December 06, 2021

by Dan Charles

Carbon offsets got a big boost from November's U.N. climate summit. New rules could make it easier for companies to pay for carbon-cutting projects in other countries, rather than doing it themselves.

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A stacker-reclaimer next to a stockpile of coal at the Newcastle Coal Terminal in Newcastle, New South Wales. Australia is a major coal producer. A new draft agreement at the climate summit in Scotland calls for ending coal power.

World News

Draft agreement at the COP26 climate summit looks to rapidly speed up emissions cuts

11:10am November 10, 2021

The draft, circulated at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, calls for an end to coal power and more rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a news conference at the U.N. Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday.

The U.K. considers its 1st new coal mine in decades even as it calls to phase out coal

8:06am November 04, 2021

by Frank Langfitt

A town in northern England wants to open a coking coal mine to create jobs. But while hosting the U.N. climate summit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is urging countries to slash greenhouse gases.

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A Dutch Approach To Cutting Carbon Emissions From Buildings Is Coming To America

2:10pm September 01, 2021

by Willem Marx

A system developed in the Netherlands for insulating existing homes has proven to be so cost-effective that it has attracted the attention of New York state, which plans to copy it.

Steam blows from the RWE Niederaussem lignite-fired power station in Bergheim, Germany, in January 2020. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say the concentration of greenhouse gases in 2020 was the highest on record.

Environment

Greenhouse Gas Levels Are The Highest Ever Seen — And That's Going Back 800,000 Years

3:24pm August 27, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

Scientists said the concentration of carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change, is the highest in data going back 800,000 years, based on ice core records.

Electric vehicles at a charging station last year in San Mateo, Calif. The governors of 12 states, including California, have called on President Biden to order that all cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. after 2035 be zero-emission vehicles.

Governors Urge Biden To Order 100% Zero-Emission Car Sales By 2035

3:57pm April 21, 2021

by Scott Neuman

In a letter to the president, 12 governors asked that the White House order a ban on greenhouse gas-emitting cars and light trucks within 14 years.

A lower-carbon natural gas flame burns on a stovetop at a NW Natural testing facility.

National

Natural Gas Companies Have Their Own Plans To Go Low-Carbon

7:00am February 21, 2021

by Cassandra Profita

The companies face an existential threat as more governments and businesses move to tackle climate change. So a growing number have their own plans to decarbonize, by creating renewable gas.

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President Biden has set a goal of making the U.S. carbon neutral by 2050, which will require steeper emissions cuts than the U.S. has ever achieved. To reach it, coal power would have to wane into a footnote, replaced by renewables like solar and wind.

How Fast Will Biden Need To Move On Climate? Really, Really Fast

5:10pm February 02, 2021

by Lauren Sommer

Scientists say the next decade is crucial for slowing climate change. To catch up, Biden's environmental policies will have to move faster than any in history.

Vehicles drive on highway I-94 in St. Paul, Minn., on Nov. 7, 2020. A recent report from the International Energy Agency said emissions fell across most parts of the economy, with one notable exception: SUVs.

Environment

Pandemic Drastically Cut Emissions From Cars. The Lone Exception? SUVs

7:00pm January 20, 2021

by Camila Domonoske

In rich countries, every sector of the economy reduced its contribution to climate change last year — with one big gas-guzzling exception.