Articles tagged with "carbon-emissions"
Housing Policy Has Consequences For Urban Communities ... And Nations - CleanTechnica
The article critiques the housing policy vision outlined in the conservative Project 2025 plan, which emphasizes prioritizing single-family homeownership as central to the American Dream and generational wealth building. The plan advocates for local control over zoning laws but paradoxically supports federal intervention to block progressive urban policies like New York City’s congestion charge. This contradiction highlights a broader political hypocrisy: conservatives decry government overreach unless it serves their agenda. The focus on single-family homes implicitly favors suburban and rural living, often at the expense of urban environments where multi-family housing is common, and which tend to support more diverse and dense populations. The article also discusses the environmental implications of housing patterns, referencing urbanist Lloyd Alter’s experience in Toronto. Alter’s lifestyle, enabled by living in a walkable, transit-accessible neighborhood, results in a significantly smaller carbon footprint compared to suburban or rural living reliant on cars. This contrasts sharply with the Project 2025 agenda, which disregards carbon emissions and promotes suburban sprawl through
energyurban-housingpollution-controlzoning-lawscarbon-emissionssuburban-livingenvironmental-policyEmbodied carbon is the next big challenge for structural engineers
The article highlights the growing importance of addressing embodied carbon in structural engineering as operational emissions decline. Embodied carbon refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with a building’s materials throughout their lifecycle—from extraction and manufacturing to installation and eventual demolition. It often accounts for over half of a building’s total lifecycle emissions in the first few decades, making it a critical focus area since these emissions are largely fixed once construction materials are in place. Given that the construction industry contributes around 40% of global emissions, reducing embodied carbon early in the design process has become a priority for engineers, regulators, and clients alike. Measuring embodied carbon is complex due to inconsistent data sources and project variability, requiring lifecycle assessments (LCA) and tools such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA) software, and carbon factor databases. However, quantification challenges remain, especially for materials like engineered wood or recycled content, forcing engineers to rely on proxies and assumptions. To effectively reduce
energyembodied-carbonstructural-engineeringsustainable-designlifecycle-assessmentconstruction-materialscarbon-emissionsShipping Is Flying The Flag For Multilateral Climate Action: Why Aren’t We Celebrating Yet? - CleanTechnica
The article discusses the recent climate agreement reached by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the shipping industry. This deal, influenced heavily by Europe’s earlier regulatory actions, sets ambitious targets for 2030, 2040, and aims for net-zero emissions by 2050. For the first time, the IMO established a globally binding regulation with a mandate to reduce the carbon intensity of shipping fuels over time, coupled with a penalty pricing system for ships that fail to meet these targets. This represents a significant multilateral climate action milestone, as it introduces a sector-specific mechanism to generate revenues for decarbonization efforts. However, the article highlights major criticisms of the agreement. The deal is seen as insufficiently ambitious, exempting nearly 90% of shipping emissions from penalties and generating only about $10 billion annually—comparable to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) but on a global scale. More concerning is the agreement’s potential to
energyclimate-changeshipping-industrybiofuelscarbon-emissionsdecarbonizationinternational-maritime-organizationTulum Energy rediscovered a forgotten hydrogen tech and used it to raise $27M
Tulum Energy emerged from a forgotten discovery made between 2002 and 2005 by engineers at the Techint Group, who accidentally created a pyrolysis reaction in an electric arc furnace that split methane into pure hydrogen and solid carbon without producing carbon dioxide. This reaction, which was initially overlooked due to limited interest in methane pyrolysis and hydrogen at the time, was rediscovered by Techint’s corporate venture arm, TechEnergy Ventures, as they sought cleaner hydrogen production methods. Leveraging this accidental innovation, Techint spun out Tulum Energy, which recently secured an oversubscribed $27 million seed funding round led by TDK Ventures and CDP Venture Capital to develop the technology commercially. Tulum Energy’s approach to methane pyrolysis stands out because it does not require expensive catalysts, unlike some competitors, and uses a modified version of widely available electric arc furnace technology. The company plans to build a pilot plant in Mexico adjacent to a Techint steel plant, with the potential for the plant to directly
energyhydrogen-productionmethane-pyrolysisclean-energyelectric-arc-furnacecarbon-emissionsstartup-fundingHow Much Energy Does AI Use? The People Who Know Aren’t Saying
The article discusses the opaque nature of energy consumption data related to AI, particularly large language models like ChatGPT. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman claimed that an average ChatGPT query uses about 0.34 watt-hours of energy, roughly equivalent to a high-efficiency lightbulb running for a couple of minutes. However, experts criticize this figure for lacking transparency and context, such as whether it includes energy used for training models, server cooling, or image generation. OpenAI has not provided detailed disclosures explaining how this number was calculated, leading to skepticism among researchers like Sasha Luccioni from Hugging Face, who emphasizes the need for more comprehensive environmental transparency in AI. The article highlights a broader issue: most AI models in use today do not disclose their environmental impact, with 84% of large language model traffic in May 2025 coming from models with zero environmental disclosure. This lack of transparency hampers efforts to accurately assess AI’s carbon footprint, especially as AI usage grows rapidly. Misleading
energyartificial-intelligenceAI-energy-consumptioncarbon-emissionsenvironmental-impactenergy-transparencyclimate-changeThe "EVs Are Big Polluters" Circus Is Back In Town - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica addresses renewed criticism of electric vehicles (EVs), sparked by comments from Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, who argued that in Japan—where electricity generation relies heavily on thermal power plants—producing EVs could increase carbon emissions compared to hybrids. This statement was seized upon by anti-EV groups to claim that EVs are worse polluters than hybrids or gasoline cars. However, the article highlights that such claims often stem from misinformation or ideological bias against EVs and fail to consider the full lifecycle emissions of vehicles. Scientific studies, including one published by IOP Science, acknowledge that EV manufacturing produces higher initial carbon emissions due to battery production, creating a "carbon debt." Yet, over their operational lifetime, EVs offset this debt by producing significantly lower emissions during use, especially as electricity grids become cleaner. The breakeven point for EVs to become cleaner than hybrids is typically between 20,000 and 30,000 miles, and even shorter when
energyelectric-vehiclescarbon-emissionsbattery-manufacturingrenewable-energypower-gridsustainabilityPuerto Rico Contemplates A Reunion With Spain - CleanTechnica
The article discusses a movement in Puerto Rico advocating for reunification with Spain, reflecting a desire among some residents to escape the island’s current status as a U.S. territory. Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony for over four centuries until the Spanish-American War in 1898, after which it became a U.S. possession. Although Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they lack voting representation in Congress and cannot vote in presidential elections, while many do not pay federal taxes. This political limbo, combined with economic challenges such as high costs for imported goods and electricity (due in part to shipping restrictions favoring U.S.-registered vessels), fuels dissatisfaction. The movement, led by José Lara and called Adelante Reunificacionistas, seeks to make Puerto Rico the eighteenth autonomous community of Spain, citing shared language and culture as key reasons. Supporters of reunification argue that Spanish governance could help Puerto Rico overcome economic and cultural stagnation experienced under U.S. rule. The article highlights historical grievances
energyelectricitypower-plantsoil-importcarbon-emissionsPuerto-Rico-energyenergy-costsDutch firm eyes nuclear power propulsion for greener cargo fleet
energynuclear-propulsioncarbon-emissionssmall-modular-reactorsoffshore-vesselssustainable-shippingdecarbonizationBreakneck data center growth challenges Microsoft’s sustainability goals
energysustainabilitycarbon-emissionsdata-centersmaterialsMicrosoftclean-energyTotalEnergies Inaugurates its Largest Solar Field in Europe — in Spain - CleanTechnica
energysolar-powerrenewable-energyTotalEnergiessustainabilityelectricity-generationcarbon-emissionsMarine offshore platform gets solar boost to reduce 90% CO2 emissions
energysolar-poweroffshore-platformsustainabilitycarbon-emissionsautonomous-systemsrenewable-energyJapan: Scientists develop new trick to trap ammonia from air, water
energyammonia-productionartificial-photosynthesiscatalystssustainable-agriculturecarbon-emissionsphotocatalysisEinride founder steps down as CEO amid push to scale electric, autonomous trucks
electric-trucksautonomous-vehiclescarbon-emissionsfreight-industryelectric-mobilitytransportation-technologysustainable-logisticsPowering the Future: A 30-Year Roadmap to Zero-Emission Port Operations
energydecarbonizationelectrificationshippingport-operationsrenewable-energycarbon-emissionsAmpersand Unveils Upgraded Electric Motorcycle Named “Alpha”
electric-motorcyclese-mobilityclean-energyelectric-vehiclessustainable-transportationcarbon-emissionsAfricaWebinar: Why clean construction doesn’t equal costly construction
clean-constructionlow-carbon-materialssustainable-buildingenergy-efficiencycarbon-emissionsCanadian-industriesinfrastructure-developmentSAF Takes Off & Ticket Prices Follow: The Real Cost Of Greener Air Travel
energysustainable-aviation-fueldecarbonizationelectric-aviationcarbon-emissionsaviation-industrygreen-hydrogenAra Partners’ new $800M fund will decarbonize old industrial assets
energydecarbonizationclimate-techindustrial-assetsinfrastructure-fundcarbon-emissionsinvestment