Emissions reduction

Policy & regulation

California’s new clean-fuel plan makes old problems worse

CARB approved new rules last week that critics say reward polluting biofuels, shortchange EVs, and could cause gasoline prices to spike.

By Jeff St. John . 13 November 2024

gray, black, and white cars snaking along two sides of an urban freeway. — The 101 freeway in Los Angeles, California (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Emissions reduction

California could ban new gas heaters after 2030. The goal: Healthier air

Ditching fossil-gas furnaces and water heaters isn't just good for the climate. Research shows it's a smart move for human health.

By Jeff St. John . 20 September 2022
Emissions reduction

Open-sourcing the grid emissions data needed for 24/7 clean energy

Startup Singularity is sharing data on hourly U.S. power-grid emissions. It wants energy markets, governments and companies like Google and Microsoft to use it — and to disclose their own data too.

By Jeff St. John . 30 August 2022
Emissions reduction

Chart: Which sectors will drive biggest emission cuts under climate bill?

The Inflation Reduction Act is expected to spur big greenhouse gas reductions in transportation, electricity, industry and more. See a sector-by-sector breakdown.

By Maria Virginia Olano . 19 August 2022
Carbon capture

Meet a startup that plans to use mining waste to capture carbon dioxide

Travertine Technologies has backing from Stripe’s carbon-removal fund for a novel system to store CO₂ in discarded rocks and help clean up the mining industry.

By Maria Gallucci . 20 July 2022
Marine transport

Cargo ships are notoriously dirty. A new bill aims to clean them up

The Clean Shipping Act, proposed this week in Congress, would curb CO₂ pollution from shipping and accelerate the adoption of nascent technologies.

By Maria Gallucci . 14 July 2022
Podcast

We need to talk about permafrost and its impact on the climate

A country-sized source of carbon emissions is starting to be released.

Play

By Stephen Lacey . 13 July 2022
Air travel

Can battery-powered airplanes decarbonize air travel?

A new study says not likely, but electric aircraft still have a role to play in cleaning up the aviation industry.

By Maria Gallucci . 13 July 2022
Guest essay

5 things to know about the Supreme Court’s recent climate ruling

The West Virginia v. EPA decision still allows the EPA to regulate CO₂ from power plants, but the process will be slow — and it won’t happen without a fight.

By Jack Lienke . 11 July 2022
Carbon capture

Carbon storage gets dirty: The movement to sequester CO2 in soils

U.N. climate report promotes soil as a tool to reduce emissions, but scientists are still figuring out how it works.

By Maria Gallucci . 8 April 2022
Carbon capture

Carbon removal now 'unavoidable' part of fighting climate change, UN says

Emissions cuts alone won't limit global warming to 1.5°C, IPCC report warns. But can carbon removal from land use and technology scale up in time?

By Jeff St. John . 5 April 2022