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Articles on Carbon

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Water from the Mackenzie River, seen from a satellite, carries silt and nutrients from land to the Arctic Ocean. Jesse Allen/NASA Earth Observatory

Arctic rivers face big changes with a warming climate, permafrost thaw and an accelerating water cycle − the effects will have global consequences

A new study shows how thawing permafrost and intensifying storms will change how water moves into and through Arctic rivers.
Flares burn at the Shell Norco Manufacturing Complex in 2021, in Norco, La. Plants like this produce not only greenhouse gas emissions, but also excess heat. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Thermoelectric technologies can help power a zero-carbon future

Human societies produce huge amounts of excess heat. Turning it into electricity could play a key role in achieving a net-zero society.
In primary production, inorganic carbon is used to build the organic molecules life needs. (Shutterstock)

How much life has ever existed on Earth?

Over two billion years from now, Earth will no longer be able to sustain life. A new study looks at how much life has ever existed and what this means for the discovery of new life-supporting planets.
COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber, centre, attends a plenary session at the COP28 UN Climate Summit, Dec. 8, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Al-Jaber is an oil executive whose statements on fossil-fuel phase outs have proved controversial. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

COP28: The scientific basis for a rapid fossil fuel phase out

Does the science support the need for a fossil fuel phase out to reach 1.5 C? The answer depends on whether we believe that carbon capture and removal technologies can be deployed safely at scale.
A flare burns off methane and other hydrocarbons as oil pumpjacks operate in the Permian Basin in Midland, Texas. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

COP28: Why we need to break our addiction to combustion

Tackling the climate crisis starts with breaking our addiction to fuel. A task complicated by fuels essential role in both promoting and threatening global human security.
A swan stands between dumped plastic bottles and waste on the Danube river near Belgrade, Serbia, on April 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Effective climate action requires us to abandon viewing our efforts as a ‘sacrifice’

Climate action should be framed not as a sacrifice but as an investment that can generate economic savings and improve human and ecosystem health today.
Planting trees to offset carbon is meaningless if the trees are lost to fire. A new way of understanding carbon storage based on both time and quantity stored is required to fully utilize carbon storage in climate change mitigation strategies. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Temporary carbon storage in forests has climate value — but we need to get the accounting right

Tracking both the amount of carbon and the time that it remains stored is key to unlocking the potential of nature-based carbon storage as a climate mitigation strategy.
What strategies are the best to make forests more resilient and better adapted to new climate conditions? (Claude Villeneuve)

Can the boreal forest be used to concretely fight climate change?

Can planting trees help us solve the climate crisis? Probably, but to what extent?
PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’ are found in fire-fighting foam, food packaging, waterproof cosmetics, non-stick pans, stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products and paints. (Shutterstock)

Canada takes first step to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals.’ But is it enough?

The Canadian government needs to regulate and, eventually, stop the continued release of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ into the environment and also prevent the creation of any toxic replacements.
The Jharia coal field in India has been on fire underground since 1916. Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images

Why don’t rocks burn?

Some rocks will burn, and others will melt, depending on how they were formed and what minerals they contain.

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