Natural gas has long been “promoted as a clean alternative to other fossil fuels.” It’s main ingredient is methane. Compared to other greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, methane does not stay in the atmosphere as long but, while it’s there, “its warming effect is much stronger.” A new independent study shows that methane “has been leaking from oil and gas facilities [in the United States]…
See moreRecycling plastic is a challenge. Over the past few decades, plastic “recycling” has in fact consisted–about half the time–of sending that plastic to China (often through Hong Kong). China and Hong Kong “have imported 72% of all plastic waste.” But, this route is now at an end. As of January 2018, China has banned the import of “nonindustrial plastic waste.” As a result, according to…
See moreAs of May 30, 2018, a supercritical carbon dioxide demonstration power plant began operation in Texas, USA. Operated by NET Power, LLC, the technology is powered by natural gas and generates electricity using CO2 itself to run the turbine. The technology–called the “Allam Cycle”–may eliminate “virtually all emissions from natural gas power generation without requiring expensive … carbon capture equipment.” Traditional natural gas power plants…
See moreIn 2017, Hurricane Harvey moved very slowly across parts of Texas (USA) dropping “more than 30 inches of rain in two days and nearly 50 inches over four days.” “Harvey’s rainfall exceeded every known flooding event in American history since 1899.” The reason for the high rainfall totals was the slow movement of the storm–and a 2018 study reports that “between 1949 and 2016, tropical…
See moreLack of fresh water for agricultural use and for human consumption is a growing and very serious problem globally–including rich countries. Read this article (Henry Fountain, New York Times, May 24, 2018) for a look at how climate change is affecting rivers in the western United States. The Rio Grande and the Colorado, two major western U.S. rivers, are experiencing significantly reduced flows due to…
See moreHow and when does an established viewpoint of a society change? What does it take for a society (a very large group of people) to alter its collective opinion? Is there a “tipping point” for public opinion? A recent study using a naming game discovered that when a minority viewpoint became held by “at least 25% of the population,” that viewpoint “was likely to rapidly…
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