Environment

General Motors has announced three new projects that'll leverage the company's hydrogen-based fuel cell technology for a variety of clean energy applications. Though this tech has largely revolved around zero-emissions vehicles, GM envisions additional uses for its Hydrotec-based power generators, ones that would replace traditional "dirty" gas and diesel generators at everything from construction sites to outdoor concerts.

Continue Reading

Electric vehicles (EVs) are all the rage, with virtually every major manufacturer bringing EVs to the market. In fact, some manufacturers, such as Subaru (via Reuters), Volvo (via Nasdaq), and others have committed to EV-only lineups by 2030 or the mid-2030s.

Continue Reading

It's not often we equate environmental activism with benefits to our own wallets, but with what's suggested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s latest release, lower spending on your part might just be the result. The EPA's new standards for greenhouse gas emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks' were released this week. These rules will apply to cars with internal combustion engines for Model Years (MY) 2023 through 2026. According to the EPA, the new emissions standards are achievable and affordable for the automotive industry and will help to pave the way to an all-electric and zero emissions future.

Continue Reading

Toyota surprised the industry in mid-December when it announced not one, but 12 upcoming electric vehicles (EVs). The news (via Toyota) was a welcome revelation to many, including SlashGear, and marks a bit of a departure from the company's previous messaging.

Continue Reading

Dell has introduced Concept Luna, a proof-of-concept laptop designed with sustainability in mind. Though the model won't be made available to consumers, the work put into this device demonstrates ways manufacturers can approach laptop design in the future, reducing their products' impact on the environment by embracing the circular economy, improved repairability, and more.

Continue Reading

Climate change is shifting growing seasons and introducing other weather phenomena that may have a major impact on crop yields in the coming years. In addition to farmers making adjustments to their practices to account for these changes, scientists have been developing modified versions of crops using gene-editing tools to help plants withstand changes in local climates.

Continue Reading

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the first US national recycling strategy, including core objectives and additional areas of focus. In addition to marking the first time the EPA has rolled out a national recycling strategy, this new effort is also the agency's first recycling plan to factor in the climate impact presented by "materials management."

Continue Reading

Glitter is an annoying, environmentally destructive substance that tends to stick around in clothing and carpet for far longer than seems reasonable. Here to help with some of these issues are researchers with the University of Cambridge, where they developed a new type of biodegradable glitter that is colorful, non-toxic, and just as annoying as its plastic counterparts.

Continue Reading

A new study from the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA) warns that climate change largely driven by human activities is the main issue fueling record wildfire seasons and that they're likely to get worse in coming years. The researchers point to US Geological Survey Data showing an astronomical increase in the amount of land burned yearly by wildfires.

Continue Reading

The Department of Energy has an initiative it calls "Energy Earthshots," which is a play on the word moonshot in reference to technologies that will help protect Earth from climate change. The initiative aims to usher in cheaper, more reliable, and "abundant" clean energy innovations over the next decade. The latest project announced under the initiative revolves around carbon dioxide (CO2) removal from the atmosphere.

Continue Reading

During the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference this week, Wright Electric unveiled its latest commercial aircraft, the 100-passenger Wright Spirit. According to the company, its new model outfits the British Aerospace (BAe) 146 airliner with Wright's megawatt-class electric propulsion system for zero-emissions operation. The company has an ambitious plan to reach all-electric aircraft status by 2026.

Continue Reading

Humanity only has around a decade at most before climate change has a major impact on crops in many parts of the world's "breadbasket regions," according to a new study from NASA, Columbia University's The Earth Institute, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The researchers say farmers need to speed up the rate at which they adapt to these climate changes to avoid huge crop losses.

Continue Reading