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A few years ago, scientists discovered a bacterium that breaks down cellulose—a tough organic compound found in plants—into usable biofuels without added enzymes. Now scientists have made another discovery about this bacterium: It can take up and metabolize carbon dioxide (CO2) as well. That Read More...
Cities that mimic forests, bricks made from converted carbon dioxide and highways lined with wind turbines powered by traffic. These are ideas that, for now, still belong to a distant, brighter future – when the world’s focus can be turned from halting runaway climate change to actually Read More...
Earth has limits to the amount of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere before the environment as we know it starts to change. Too much CO2 absorbed by the oceans makes the water more acidic. Too much in the atmosphere warms the planet. With emissions from our carbon-based economies rising, scientists Read More...
Solar power capacity in the U.S. will have nearly tripled in size in less than three years by 2017, amid an energy shakeup that has seen natural gas solidify its position as the country’s chief source of electricity and coal power continue to fade, according to monthly data published by the Read More...
According to a new report, wind power could supply as much as 20 percent of the world’s total electricity by 2030 due to dropping prices and pledges to take climate action. China is set to quadruple wind power capacity, and more investments are being made around the world to expand wind capacity Read More...
Scientists have accidentally done something incredible. They have created a means of transforming carbon dioxide into a clean fuel called ethanol, by mistake. The ethanol produced was said to be pure, meaning there are minimum side reactions. If produced on a mass-scale, this ethanol could be used Read More...
This past Saturday morning in Rwanda, a landmark deal was agreed upon that will limit emissions of key climate change-causing pollutants found in air conditions. The deal will phase down the use and production of hydrofluorocarbons, known as HFCs, for use in air conditioners. HFCs are thousands of Read More...
The renewable energy revolution that The Optimist Daily reports on every day, is beginning to have a real impact on global warming. During the first six months of the year, carbon dioxide emissions from America’s energy industry dropped to the lowest point since 1991, according to U.S. Energy Read More...
The plant will harvest 90 percent of the carbon dioxide it produces. by Jamie Condliffe October 5, 2016 When it reopens later this year, the W.A. Parish Generating Station in Texas will be the largest coal power plant in the world with a retrofitted carbon-capture system. But the scheme is perhaps Read More...
More on car innovation: Compressed air doesn’t sound a likely fuel for cars. However, French automaker Peugeot is building a hybrid gasoline car that can store energy as compressed air. The air-hybrid car can achieve 81 miles per gallon while emitting just a fraction of the carbon dioxide per Read More...