article thumbnail

Twenty years of blogging in hindsight

Real Climate

It shows the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and tells a story about the carbon cycle, involving Earth’s crust, the atmosphere, land surface, the biosphere, and the oceans. An enhanced understanding of climate change has been a force behind the growth in solar panels, wind power, and electric cars.

2004 245
article thumbnail

Ask a Scientist: Two Dozen States Can Meet 100 Percent of Electricity Demand with Renewables by 2035

Union of Concerned Scientists

Just as important, cleaning up the power grid also lowers carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing fossil fuel use under the 100-percent RES policy cuts alliance state power plant carbon dioxide emissions by 58 percent below 2020 levels by 2040.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

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

article thumbnail

Statement in Response to New Hydrogen Handouts From the Federal Government

Enviromental Defense

The wind energy used to produce hydrogen won’t be available for local use. A much better use of new wind power would be to replace coal with clean, affordable wind power. Hydrogen’s global warming potential is 33 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

article thumbnail

Good News—and Bad—about Fossil Fuel Power Plants in 2023 

Union of Concerned Scientists

In 2021 alone, the plants slated for retirement emitted more than 28,000 tonnes of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), 32,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and 51 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), according to EIA data. GW of gas capacity set to retire, but also slightly outpacing the planned additions of wind power.

article thumbnail

Circle of Blue - Untitled Article

Circle of Blue

Hydropower generation across California and the American West has declined in this extremely dry year, meaning that electricity providers will lean more heavily on natural gas, solar, and wind power. Burning the methane-rich gas still releases carbon dioxide. But burning the biogas can reduce net emissions significantly.

article thumbnail

7 Things to Know About Burning Hydrogen in Gas Plants: An H2 FAQ 

Union of Concerned Scientists

SMR involves using steam to separate the hydrogen from the carbon in methane (CH 4 ). In addition to producing hydrogen, this process results in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and other heat-trapping gases. Even green hydrogen, however, can have carbon implications, as discussed below. Is green hydrogen carbon-free?

article thumbnail

Unraveling LA’s Hydrogen Combustion Experiment

Legal Planet

This means that, as we transition to carbon-free energy, we still need firm power, and geothermal, nuclear, and hydroelectric are either difficult to scale, expensive, or politically inexpedient. Because of this, a 30% hydrogen mix by volume delivers only a 10% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.