Julien Emile-Geay, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Thanks to humans, the concentration of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now 50% higher than before the industrial era. These gases are raising Earth’s temperature.
Our research shows NZ’s potential to burn forestry waste and capture the emissions in geothermal wells. But we’ll need new partnerships between power generators, manufacturers and the forestry sector.
When groundwater comes to the surface, sunlight and air convert organic molecules to greenhouse gases. That’s going to be a problem as we will need this water more as the world warms.
Most maize production relies on natural rainfall, making it vulnerable to changing rainfall patterns.
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While carbon dioxide removal from the air is not a replacement for emissions reductions, it can supplement these efforts. Experts are continually researching the best ways to do this.
Changes in vegetation and temperature affect wildlife and humans, as well as the climate.
Lisa Hupp/USFWS
Rising temperatures mean longer, earlier pollen seasons, but the bigger problem is what carbon dioxide will do to the amount of pollen being released. A 200% increase is possible this century.
Inequality polarises societies and makes them less inclined to act for the common good.
Getty Images/ Stock photo
The reduction of inequality is crucial from an ethical point of view as well as the fact that will open new possibilities on how to tackle climate change.
Guy Stewart Callendar connected carbon dioxide concentrations with rising temperatures.
GS Callendar Archive, University of East Anglia
Plan to cut emissions quickly, use offsets sparingly and set broader goals for improving society.
One ‘mechanical tree’ is about 1,000 times faster at removing carbon dioxide from air than a natural tree. The first is to start operating in Arizona in 2022.
Illustration via Arizona State University
Critics say investing in carbon capture and storage means betting on technology that’s not yet proven to work at scale. Using liquid marbles could make a huge difference.
Boundary Dam power station in Saskatchewan, Canada, claims to be the world’s first coal plant with incorporated carbon capture and storage.
Orjan Ellingvag/Alamy Stock Photo
Soaking up and storing CO₂ is not just a question of technology.
Wildfire smoke contains a mixture of toxic pollutants that can be harmful to both the lungs and the brain.
Bloomberg Creative/ Bloomberg Creative Photos via Getty Images
Pollution from more frequent floods and wildfires – exacerbated by the warming climate – is threatening human health and poses particular risks to the brain.