Human activity involving fossil fuels has been a much bigger contributor to climate change than previously thought, a new study from the University of Rochester has found. Methane is a greenhouse gas that, compared to carbon dioxide, doesn't last very long in the atmosphere. However, and as with other greenhouse gases, it does trap heat, contributing to the harmful warming of our planet.
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon and the world's richest person, has committed $10 billion under his newly announced Bezos Earth Fund. In an announcement on Instagram today, Bezos stated that he wants 'to work alongside others both to amplify known ways and to explore new ways of fighting the devastating impact of climate change on this planet we all share.' Bezos indicates that the $10 billion is just the start of his financial investment into the planet.
A new study out of the Yale School of Public Health has found that air pollution may be able to trigger non-fatal heart attacks, making the ultrafine particles found in this pollution a ‘serious public health concern.’ The research was recently published in Environmental Health Perspectives; it warns that the heart attack risk is particularly high in the first few hours after exposure.
Delta Airlines has announced intentions to become the first carbon-neutral airline across its global operations. The company has pledged $1 billion that will be used over the next decade to reach this goal, which will cover Delta's land and air operations. According to the company, 98-percent of its emissions come from aircraft; in order to neutralize this, the company plans to reduce its carbon footprint and more.
In ways that aren't entirely clear, BP plans to achieve net-zero status by the year 2050 (or sooner) despite its gas and oil operations. The company outlined its ambitious goal on Wednesday, though it didn't have many details on how it plans to actually achieve its mission. As part of this effort, BP says it will 'fundamentally reorganize' its business.
Climate change resulting from human activities has caused a major ocean current to become more turbulent, according to a new study from NASA. The space agency, which also spends considerable time monitoring and studying our own planet, used satellite data spanning a dozen years to measure the Beaufort Gyre ocean current, finding that it is moving faster as a result of rapidly melting sea ice.
Nike has introduced a new product called Space Hippie that it describes as 'exploratory footwear.' This product is made using scrap material that builds up at factories, putting those waste products to better use. The product's name refers to the stereotypical 'hippie' association with caring about the environment and the use of material scraps that are sort of like 'space junk.'
As much as we'd love to keep holding to consumers electronics as much as we could, there are times when they just can't move forward any longer. Usually, that takes years of regular use but some manufacturers often give people reasons to upgrade to a new model sooner rather than later. And what better way to do that than by rendering a device completely useless the way Sonos is doing now with its so-called Recycle Mode.
A hotly-anticipated climate change report has issued an ominous warning on the rising global temperature, cautioning that the current pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are woefully inadequate if the Paris Agreement targets at to be achieved. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report measures the disparity between what the world needs to do to tackle climate change, and what's actually being done.
Pizza Hut is the latest fast-food franchise to test plant-based meat on a food product. In this case, Pizza Hut has unveiled its new 'Incogmeato' sausage pizza, a pie that features the company's 'Garden Specialty' toppings; it is served in a special round 'box,' as well, that can be composted when it's no longer needed. The pizza is offered as part of a test that is currently live in one of the company's Phoenix stores.
A variety of fresh food products are sold wrapped in polyethylene plastic wrap, which is good for helping keep the food fresh, but ultimately bad for the environment. In an effort to cut down on plastic waste, a newly developed product from BioBag Australia uses non-GMO corn starch and other plant-sourced substances to keep vegetables fresh without problematic plastics. The environmentally-friendly product is already being used in Australia.
If you want to help protect the environment, stop using the 'delicate wash' cycle on your washing machine, a new study suggests. Researchers with Newcastle University found the delicate wash cycle offered on most washing machines results in more plastic microfibers than other cycle options. These microfibers are flushed out of the machine in the water, ultimately entering the environment.