Remove 2016 Remove Air Pollution Remove Fossil Fuels
article thumbnail

Why Were 2023 and 2024 So Hot?

Union of Concerned Scientists

The year 2023 was by far the warmest in Earths recorded history, and perhaps in the past 100,000 years , shattering the previous record set in 2016 by 0.27C (0.49F). Humans have a direct effect on albedo through emitting industrial aerosols such as sulfates, which accumulate in the atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels.

2024 278
article thumbnail

Oil Refineries: A Deadly Industry

Union of Concerned Scientists

While some who drive past these refineries don’t have to live near them or work in them, those who do can be harmed by the well-documented effects of refinery pollution on human health. The fossil fuel industry has systematically contaminated our environment with a wide range of toxic chemicals for over a century.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

The definitive CO2/CH4 comparison post

Real Climate

The radiative forcing from these changes in concentrations can be easily calculated using standard formulas (from Etminan et al, 2016 which supersede the slightly simpler ones from IPCC TAR), as about 2 W/m 2 for the CO 2 change and 0.65 W/m 2 for CH 4. W/m<sup>2</sup> (to about 60% of the CO 2 effect since 1750).

article thumbnail

New Global Energy Market Risk: War Pushes Overreliance on US LNG in Path of Climate-Amped Hurricanes

Union of Concerned Scientists

While the epicenter of the war and its horrors has remained trained on and in Ukraine, Russia has also leveraged its position as a major fossil fuel exporter to fund its war efforts and to manipulate and threaten others, including countries across Europe that have long relied on Russian supplies of gas. Credit: U.S. Credit: U.S.

article thumbnail

Why Energy Bills Will Be Even Higher This Winter

Union of Concerned Scientists

Our national overreliance on gas is evidently undermining energy access, not strengthening it, as some fossil fuel industry players would want you to believe. These claims just add to the deluge of greenwashing and disinformation from the fossil fuel industry. Don’t believe the industry spin.

article thumbnail

Burning Garbage Will Not Solve the Plastic Pollution Crisis

Enviromental Defense

These communities are often already exposed to lots of air pollution from things like other industries, airports, and nearby highways. Pollution data released from Canada’s newest waste incinerator, located east of Toronto, showed releases of dioxins and furans 12 times greater than permitted in 2016. Sorry, but no again.

article thumbnail

NYU Grossman School of Medicine: Closure Of Pittsburgh's Shenango Coke [Coal] Works Tied To Local Health Gains

PA Environment Daily

The closure in January 2016 of one of Pittsburgh’s biggest coal-processing plants led to immediate and lasting declines in emissions of fossil fuel–related air pollutants. The impact of the closure persisted through at least December 2018, the last month for which data were analyzed. Thurston, ScD.