Methane-Eating Bacteria Converts Greenhouse Gas to Fuel (And Could Clean-up Fracking Sites)

Methanotrophic bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year and have captivated researchers for their natural ability to convert the potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel. Yet we know very little about how the complex reaction occurs, limiting our ability to use the double benefit to our advantage.

By studying the enzyme the bacteria use to catalyze the reaction, a team at Northwestern University now has discovered key structures that may drive the process.

Click here to learn more

Texas Researchers Use Okra to Remove Microplastics from Wastewater

Tarleton State University researchers have demonstrated that food-grade plant extracts, especially those from okra, have the power to remove microplastics from wastewater.

The health effects of ingesting microplastics are unclear, but studies suggest that people unintentionally consume thousands of particles every year.

They can be released from your clothing in the washing machine and end up in the city water treatment facility

Click here to learn more

Biden called for US energy independence — advanced biofuels can propel us

It has been nearly a month since President Biden addressed the nation to announce a ban on Russian oil imports amid Moscow’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. As Biden pointed out during his speech, this moment is “a stark reminder” that the U.S. needs to be energy independent. At the time, the president made clear to the American public that gas prices, already on the rise prior to the invasion, would reach new heights as a result of U.S. sanctions. Today, we are seeing his prediction play out as gas prices have soared 48 percent year-over-year.

Click here to learn more

Sea Level to Rise up to a Foot by 2050, Interagency Report Finds

Coastal flooding will increase significantly over the next 30 years because of sea level rise, according to a new report by an interagency sea level rise task force that includes NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other federal agencies. Titled Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States, the Feb. 15 report concludes that sea level along U.S. coastlines will rise between 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) on average above today’s levels by 2050.

Click here to learn more

A Cue From Kitty Hawk: What the Wright Brothers Teach Us About Decarbonizing Flight

The seeds of modern aviation didn’t merely sprout from two brothers’ dream of flight. They broke into the sunlight through the rigor of the scientific process.

I’ve heard that the Wright brothers tested hundreds of wing designs during their efforts to build and demonstrate the first fully functional airplane. Many of those wooden wings never took off. But every experiment — whether airborne or not — taught the American inventors something valuable.

Orville and Wilbur Wright carried insights back to their lab, where they polished their understanding of the dynamics of lift. They gathered detailed data, revised their assumptions, and improved their designs. It was rigorous applied science that earned extraordinary results.

Click here to learn more

Net-Zero-Emission Biofuels

Aviation, marine, and trucking are among the most difficult transportation sectors to decarbonize. NREL researchers are developing processes to convert widely available biomass and waste feedstocks into sustainable biofuels that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 100% compared to petroleum-based fuels.

Click here to learn more

FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Advances the Future of Sustainable Fuels in American Aviation

Today, President Biden is taking steps to coordinate leadership and innovation across the federal government, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, fuel producers, airports, and non-governmental organizations to advance the use of cleaner and more sustainable fuels in American aviation. These steps will help make progress toward our climate goals for 2030 and are essential to unlocking the potential for a fully zero-carbon aviation sector by 2050. Today’s executive actions across the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the General Services Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency will result in the production and use of billions of gallons of sustainable fuel that will enable aviation emissions to drop 20% by 2030 when compared to business as usual. Together with President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda, these new agency steps and industry partnerships will transform the aviation sector, create good-paying jobs, support American agriculture and manufacturing, and help us tackle the climate crisis.

Click here to learn more

Thawing Permafrost Could Leach Microbes, Chemicals Into Environment

Scientists are turning to a combination of data collected from the air, land, and space to get a more complete picture of how climate change is affecting the planet’s frozen regions.

Trapped within Earth’s permafrost – ground that remains frozen for a minimum of two years – are untold quantities of greenhouse gases, microbes, and chemicals, including the now-banned pesticide DDT. As the planet warms, permafrost is thawing at an increasing rate, and scientists face a host of uncertainties when trying to determine the potential effects of the thaw.

Click here to learn more

What Is the Greenhouse Effect?

Earth is said to be in a perfect "Goldilocks zone" away from the sun (not too cold, and not too hot), which enables life to thrive on the planet's surface. But Earth's balmy temperatures would not be possible without the greenhouse effect, which traps solar energy on Earth's surface and keeps the planet warm.

Click here to learn more

Open Navigation