Latest news with #CO2
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
EU climate goals at risk as ailing forests absorb less CO2, scientists say
EU climate goals at risk as ailing forests absorb less CO2, scientists say By Alison Withers, Kate Abnett and Simon Johnson COPENHAGEN/BRUSSELS/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Damage to European forests from increased logging, wildfires, drought and pests is reducing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, putting European Union emissions targets at risk, scientists warned on Wednesday. The European Union has committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. The target includes the expectation that forests will suck up hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions and store it in trees and soil, to compensate for pollution from industry. But that assumption is now in doubt. The average annual amount of CO2 Europe's forests removed from the atmosphere in 2020-2022 was nearly a third lower than in the 2010-2014 period, according to a paper led by scientists from the EU's Joint Research Centre - its independent science research service. In the later period, forests absorbed around 332 million net tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, said the paper, published in the journal Nature. Recent data from EU countries suggest an even steeper decline. "This trend, combined with the declining climate resilience of European forests, indicates that the EU's climate targets, which rely on an increasing carbon sink, might be at risk," the paper said. Today, Europe's land and forestry sector offsets around 6% of the EU's annual greenhouse gas emissions. That's 2% short of the amount the EU calculates is needed to meet climate goals - with the gap expected to widen by 2030. Agustín Rubio Sánchez, professor of ecology and soil science at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, said it was "wishful thinking" to rely on forests to meet climate targets. "Forests can help, but they shouldn't be assigned quantities to balance carbon budgets," he told Reuters. The findings are a political headache for EU governments, who are negotiating a new, legally-binding 2040 climate target - which is designed to use forests to offset pollution that industries cannot eliminate. Already, some are warning this won't be possible. "What should we do when there are factors that we, as countries, as governments, have not much ability to control - like forest fires or drought," Sweden's environment minister Romina Pourmokhtari said in a news conference last week. Over-harvesting, climate change-fuelled wildfires and droughts, and pest outbreaks are all depleting forests' carbon storage. However, some of these risks can be managed - for example, by reducing intense logging, or planting more diverse tree species, which may enhance CO2 storage and help forests withstand climate extremes and pests, the paper said. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The Real Reason Hydrogen Fuel Isn't More Popular
In the effort to reduce climate change and eliminate the abundance of fossil fuels, one particular element has been identified as so promising that it could be the future of clean fuels. That element is hydrogen. Earth has a massive supply of hydrogen. It can be burned in the same way we use oil or gas, but instead of polluting the air, it only emits water. So if there is plenty of it and it's so clean, why isn't it more popular? There's no chemical element more abundant than hydrogen in the universe, but it's still difficult to obtain in a pure and ready-to-use form. To use it in the same way we use oil and gas, we must manufacture it. The problem is that the manufacturing process itself usually releases significant climate-warming emissions. There is little point in using clean hydrogen energy if the process to create it negates its benefits. Read more: What's Happening To Earth Right Now Can't Be Explained By Climate Models The Problems With Manufacturing Hydrogen Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), shows that 96% of hydrogen fuel production around the world uses fossil fuels -- releasing at least nine tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) per ton of hydrogen, and even up to twelve tons. The various production processes used impact the levels of CO₂ emitted. Most of the hydrogen used today -- including around 95% of projects in the U.S. -- is known as gray hydrogen; made by breaking down natural gas using high heat. While this process does produce hydrogen, it also releases about 12 kilograms of CO₂ for every single kilogram of hydrogen. A cleaner option is blue hydrogen, which uses the same method but adds carbon capture technology to trap some of the emissions. Even then, it still releases three to five kilograms of CO₂ per kilogram of hydrogen. As part of a team researching new ways of creating hydrogen, without direct CO₂ emissions, Professor Graham Hutchings of Cardiff University stated, "Finding sustainable ways of creating the products we need for everyday life and to meet net zero ambitions for the future is a key challenge facing the chemical industry. Hydrogen is widely regarded as one way of achieving these ambitions because it is made from natural gas. However, it is extremely energy intensive and, of course, when created through traditional methods, it produces large amounts of carbon dioxide limiting its environmental benefits." Research Into Cleaner Ways To Produce Hydrogen One potential process which would be safer for our climate, is an option referred to as green hydrogen. This utilizes clean and renewable energy, like wind or solar power, to manufacture the hydrogen. The process can emit one kilogram or less of harmful emissions, which is significantly less than the current processes in place for gray and blue hydrogen. Researching the concept at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Energy Initiative, a key stumbling block is the cost of the electrolyzers that are used to split the hydrogen from water. Furthermore, wind and solar power aren't reliable enough for a continuous manufacturing process. That leaves the options of either stopping production when conditions are not ideal, or having to rely on more traditional methods of producing hydrogen, which is counterintuitive. Principal research scientist at the MIT Energy Initiative, Emre Gençer, explained, "If we get cheaper electrolyzers, you will definitely see more green hydrogen coming online ... The reason we are talking about hydrogen today [is] because there are hard to abate sectors with electrification or other decarbonization options, and that's why we see hydrogen as a solution. But that completely depends on how clean our hydrogen production is." Read the original article on BGR. Solve the daily Crossword
Top Gear
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
BMW 3 Series Touring Price & Specs
Advertisement Title 0-62 CO2 BHP MPG Price 330e 22.3 kWh M Sport 5dr Step Auto Tech/Pro Pack 6s 288.3 £54,520 330e 22.3 kWh M Sport 5dr Step Auto [Pro Pack] 6s 288.3 £52,420 330e 22.3 kWh M Sport 5dr Step Auto [Tech Pack] 6s 288.3 £52,170 330e 22.3 kWh M Sport 5dr Step Auto 6s 288.3 £50,070 330e 22.3 kWh Sport 5dr Step Auto 6s 288.3 £48,820 M340i xDrive MHT 5dr Step Auto 4.6s 368.8 £61,635 320i M Sport 5dr Step Auto [Tech/Pro Pack] 7.6s 181 £48,215 320i M Sport 5dr Step Auto [Pro Pack] 7.6s 181 £46,115 320i M Sport 5dr Step Auto [Tech Pack] 7.6s 181 £45,865 320i M Sport 5dr Step Auto 7.6s 181 £43,765 320i Sport 5dr Step Auto 7.6s 181 £42,515 You might like
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Western Europe's diesel car share close to falling below 10% in June
The region lost another 50k of diesel sales compared to June 2024, bringing the deficit in H1 of this year to 210k units. June's diesel share of new car sales, with just Greece data not available at the time of writing, was 10.7% - the lowest value seen so far since diesel began its long decline. Six of the 17 markets included in this analysis now have diesel shares below 5% while 11 have shares below 10%. Germany's diesel market remains more than twice as large as the second placed country (Italy) but is now starting to fall significantly, dipping below a 20% share in June and losing 20k units of diesel car sales versus June 2024. A key underlying reason is of course the requirement to work towards meeting the stricter EU CO2 target which, though now averaged over the years 2025-2027, has precipitated an uptick in the region's plug-in market so far this year. To June, BEV sales across Europe are up 30%year-on-year. After being broadly similar through 2023 and 2024, BEV sales have finally opened up a clear lead over diesel, spurred on by the changing EU CO2 regulatory framework. It seems unlikely that diesel could ever outsell BEV from this point forward. This article was first published on GlobalData's dedicated research platform, the . "Western Europe's diesel car share close to falling below 10% in June – GlobalData" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Top Gear
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
BMW 2 Series Coupe Price & Specs
Advertisement Title 0-62 CO2 BHP MPG Price 230i M Sport 2dr Step Auto [Tech/Pro Pack] 5.9s 241.4 £46,540 230i M Sport 2dr Step Auto [Tech Pack] 5.9s 241.4 £44,690 230i M Sport 2dr Step Auto [Pro Pack] 5.9s 241.4 £44,430 230i M Sport 2dr Step Auto 5.9s 241.4 £41,990 M240i xDrive 2dr Step Auto [Tech/Pro Pack] 4.3s 368.8 £51,510 M240i xDrive 2dr Step Auto [Tech Pack] 4.3s 368.8 £50,515 M240i xDrive 2dr Step Auto [Pro Pack] 4.3s 368.8 £48,860 M240i xDrive 2dr Step Auto 4.3s 368.8 £47,815 220i M Sport 2dr Step Auto [Tech/Pro Pack] 7.5s 181 £43,025 220i M Sport 2dr Step Auto [Tech Pack] 7.5s 181 £41,175 220i M Sport 2dr Step Auto [Pro Pack] 7.5s 181 £40,915 220i M Sport 2dr Step Auto 7.5s 181 £38,475 You might like
