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Carbon Emission Reduction Strategies

A recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl/article/535/1/L18/7760380">study</a> has revealed an unexpected consequence of the global lockdowns imposed in 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19: a measurable cooling of the <keyword id="19899207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="moon" source="keywords">Moon</keyword>'s surface.<br /><br />Indian researchers from the <keyword id="20178202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Physical-Research-Laboratory" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Physical Research Laboratory" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Physical Research Laboratory">Physical Research Laboratory</keyword> (PRL) analysed night-time temperatures at six different locations on the Moon's near side between 2017 and 2023. Using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, they discovered a consistent temperature drop of 8-10 Kelvin during the strictest lockdown period of April-May 2020 compared to previous years.<br /><br />For instance, the coldest temperature was recorded in 2020, with a value of 96.2 K at one location. In contrast, post-lockdown years like 2021 and 2022 saw a gradual warming trend as human activity resumed.<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111772552" title="Newly discovered Moon caves could shelter astronauts as they set up lunar bases!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The researchers posit that this unusual cooling can be attributed to a reduction in Earth's outgoing radiation during the lockdowns. As human activity slowed down, <keyword id="20107362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gas-emissions" source="keywords">greenhouse gas emissions</keyword> and aerosols decreased significantly. This meant less heat was trapped and re-emitted by Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a measurable decrease in the radiation reaching the Moon.<br /><br />Further, the Moon's surface acts as an amplifier of Earth's radiation signature. And this unique global event provided a rare opportunity to observe how changes in human activity on Earth can affect our nearest celestial neighbour.<br /><br />While the study presents a compelling correlation, the authors acknowledge that more data is needed to definitively establish the link between Earth's radiation changes and <keyword id="23366659" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lunar-surface-temperatures" source="keywords">lunar surface temperatures</keyword>. They suggest that future Moon-based observatories could play a crucial role in studying Earth's climate and environmental shifts.<br />  <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112222991" title="Scientists want to send our endangered species to the Moon to “save” them" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>This unexpected finding highlights the interconnectedness of our solar system and the far-reaching impacts of human activities on our planet. As we continue to grapple with the challenges of <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword>, understanding these subtle interactions between Earth and the Moon can provide valuable insights into our planet's complex systems.<br /><br /><em>(With inputs from TOI)</em><br />

The Covid lockdowns did WHAT to the Moon?!

On Monday, July 22, Finance Minister <keyword id="22504403" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmal-sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmal Sitharaman</keyword> tabled the <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="economic-survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> 2023-24 in the parliament ahead of the much-awaited budget 2024 tomorrow. In addition to a socio-economic stock take, the comprehensive report also outlines the strides India has made on the environment and climate fronts last year.<br /><br />India is in a weird grey area when the climate blame-game is concerned. We continue to average some of the lowest per capita CO2 emissions in the world. But, being the most-populous country in the world, these small bits add up to make India the third-largest emitter of CO2 in the world, after China and the United States.<br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111923746" title="Economic Survey 2023-2024 highlights emerging job trends in AI, Cybersecurity, 3D Printing and Web Development" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, this is not to say that the country has been sitting the green transition out either. As highlighted in the Economic Survey, India has been making notable strides in tackling climate change and promoting <keyword id="19895783" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainability" source="keywords">sustainability</keyword> — efforts that will be crucial to protect billions in the coming years and decades. Let's take a look at these efforts and compare them with findings from other recent environmental reports to see the full picture.<br /><h2><keyword id="21818512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="emission-intensity" source="keywords">Emission intensity</keyword> reduction</h2>The economic survey proudly states that India has reduced the emission intensity of its GDP by 33% from 2005 levels by 2019. This means the country is producing less greenhouse gas for every unit of economic activity.<br /><br />This is a commendable achievement because India’s original climate change target — or Nationally Determined Contribution — was set to precisely 33% reduction of emission intensity by 2030, before being revised to 45% in 2022. While the jump from 33% to 45% is still a significant one with barely half a decade to go, this progress is a clear sign that India’s climate policies are having a real impact.<br /><h2><keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">Renewable energy</keyword> capacity</h2>According to the economic survey, 45.4% of India’s installed electricity generation capacity — which includes solar, wind, and hydropower — now comes from non-fossil sources, as of May 31, 2024. <br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111774972" title="Economic Survey shows India&amp;#39;s energy needs to grow 2.5x, healthy growth in formal employment" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>As per reports by the Ministry of New &amp; Renewable Energy, India added a record renewable energy capacity of 18.48 GW in 2023-2024, with solar installations amounting to 12.78 GW, followed by 2.27 GW of wind energy. However, industry experts have also noted that India Inc. cannot afford to run out of steam now, and must continue to add at least 50 GW for the next six years to meet the target of 500 GW of renewables by 2030.<br /><h2>Indian energy needs</h2>India's energy needs are expected to grow 2 to 2.5 times by 2047, as per the latest economic survey. This necessitates a balanced approach to <keyword id="19951336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="energy-transition" source="keywords">energy transition</keyword> that considers resource limitations and the need for resilience to climate change.<br /><br />India has suffered from an overdependence on coal and fossil fuels in the past, accounting for around 75% of total energy generation in 2021, as per the Energy Information Administration. However, this number has been quickly falling, even dropping below a historic 50% in Q1 2024.<br /><h2>Sovereign <keyword id="20177085" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-bonds" source="keywords">green bonds</keyword></h2>To fund green projects, India issued Rs 16,000 Crore in sovereign green bonds — financial instruments that support green projects at lower capital costs — in early 2023 and another Rs 20,000 Crore later in the year, the economic survey reports. As per the government, these proceeds were utilised in many eco-friendly projects, such as New and Renewable Energy, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Housing and Urban Affairs, Railways. To widen the investor base, the <keyword id="19899810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india" source="keywords">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (RBI) also recently permitted eligible foreign investors to invest in such bonds.<br /><h2>Mission LiFE and Green Credit Programme</h2>The survey also talks extensively about Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), which promotes sustainable living, and the Green Credit Programme (GCP), which incentivises eco-friendly actions by offering “green credits”.<br /><br />In the past few months, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and a few other states have reportedly approved thousands of hectares of degraded forest land for greening exercises as part of the GCP.<br /><h2>International initiatives</h2>India has spearheaded several international initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA), One World, One Sun, One Grid (OSOWOG), the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States’ (IRIS) and the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT). Hundreds of nations are signed up for these climate coalitions and our participation will help reflect India's commitment to advancing global <keyword id="20000756" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-action" source="keywords">climate action</keyword> and fostering international cooperation in sustainable development.<br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111923191" title="Economic Survey 2024 – industries grow by 9.5%, fueling economic growth to 8.2%" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The report even notes that India is currently the only G20 nation who is set not to cross the 2°C warming threshold. All in all, India’s economic survey and environmental reports together show a nation making impressive progress in combating climate change and advancing sustainability. These achievements will hopefully set a strong example for other countries to follow.<br />

On the right track — Economic Survey 2023-24 outlines India’s commendable climate action

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Games' need for a massive infrastructure project has historically hurt host cities' environments.</li><li>Installing and using 5G technology could help minimize the Olympics' environmental impacts.</li></ul><p>When thousands of the world's best athletes descend on one city, it can wreak environmental havoc.</p><p>No single Olympic Games held between 1992 and 2020 was sufficiently sustainable, found <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=c0d989491c74099378a20091f3e16aba6129c646e40d4b337bf98c0f4ca076c3&amp;postID=66a274b6d290cb433ad39ab1&amp;postSlug=paris-olympics-how-5g-tech-could-curb-environmental-impact-2024-7&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41893-021-00696-5">a 2021 study</a> in the journal Nature that assessed the environmental impacts of the Games during that period.</p><p>For example, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games damaged the city's local environment when an estimated <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/12/3/166#:~:text=During%20the%20seven%2Dyear%20preparation,Azevedo%202015%3B%20Zimbalist%202017).">77,000 people in favela communities were displaced</a> to make way for the event's infrastructure, according to a retrospective report published in 2023 in the journal Social Sciences.</p><p>From an environmental standpoint, the Rio de Janeiro Games <a target="_blank" href="https://katoikos.world/analysis/olympics-a-celebration-for-humanity-a-disaster-for-the-environment.html">produced</a> more than 17,000 metric tons of waste, used 29,500 gigawatts of electricity — the majority of which was not from renewable sources — and resulted in 3.6 million metric tons of carbon emissions, the Rio de Janeiro Games reported.</p><p>For the Paris Games, limiting environmental impact has been a greater concern than in past Olympics, with efforts across industries to reduce waste. Rather than build a series of new venues, existing ones have been repurposed. <a target="_blank" href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/our-commitments/the-environment/infrastructures">Only one new permanent venue was constructed</a>, and there's more <a target="_blank" href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/our-commitments/the-environment/organising-more-circular-games">renting than buying</a> when it comes to equipment like furniture to reduce waste. Sustainability initiatives also extend to the 5G technology powering the Olympic Games.</p><p>Orange, the telecommunications provider for the Paris Games, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.orange.com/en/allconnected/paris2024/paris-2024-how-orange-will-limit-its-environmental-impact">has set itself the goal</a> of limiting its carbon emissions to 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. If met, Orange's carbon emissions would account for less than 1% of the total estimated emissions of the 2024 Olympics.</p><p>It's the latest example of how 5G providers are supporting sustainability efforts at global-scale live events.</p><p>"As sustainability initiatives around large public venues gather steam, we know IT teams are being asked to find ways to contribute to their organization's decarbonization efforts," said Kevin Swank, the product-marketing director at CommScope, a service provider that has worked on sports stadiums in France, Germany, and the US.</p><h2 id="1d0215d6-49e6-4444-b194-294cf1e5f1bd"><strong>Environmentally friendly technology that can support more fans</strong></h2><p>Though 5G systems require infrastructure installation, their technology is more sustainable than older connectivity systems like analog distributed antenna systems, Swank said.</p><p>Digital 5G systems use less power and less cooling than older systems, which need large amounts of power and cabling to run, Swank told Business Insider. And because 5G systems run digitally, they don't require as much physical infrastructure as their predecessors, Swank added.</p><p>He said he witnessed the positive impact — on the environment and the fan experience — when CommScope updated the internet infrastructure at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.commscope.com/globalassets/digizuite/965502-atandt-stadium-cs-115933-en.pdf">AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas</a>, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in 2020.</p><p>"The venue was reaching the performance limits of its equipment, and its current network just couldn't keep up with the growing demands of a mobile-device-centric fan base," Swank told BI. The stadium needed a 5G network that could support augmented-reality features and mobile-ordering capabilities for concessions for up to 100,000 visitors at a time.</p><p>By switching to 5G, the stadium's network performance increased tenfold, while its power use went down by about 87% and its cooling requirements decreased by up to 75%, a project report from CommScope said. Those reductions equate to over 100 metric tons in CO2 emissions savings a year, Swank said.</p><p>The stadium's 5G system resulted in just five equipment storage racks compared with the 30 to 40 racks previously required for its analog equipment.</p><p>Because of these advantages, 5G is quickly gaining steam within the entertainment industry as events continue to grow in scale and attendees expect more seamless experiences.</p><h2 id="4de8c9b0-599e-4fa3-9e87-59f5acb6ad1c"><strong>Recycling 5G equipment for more sustainability</strong></h2><p>To work toward its carbon-emissions goal for the Paris Games, Orange decreased its equipment manufacturing and infrastructure-deployment footprint. Orange, in partnership with the consultancy Carbone4, estimated that 86% of its global footprint came from those two areas.</p><p>For the Paris Olympics, the company is using more local suppliers and shipping bulky items by sea rather than air to reduce emissions. Orange said it planned to rent one-quarter of its equipment and estimated that 75% of the equipment would be reused or redeployed after the Games.</p><p>Generally, the 5G networks used at sports venues' large events can be reused after the events end and the increased capacity is no longer needed, said Kelvin Chaffer, the CEO of Lifecycle Software, which provides support systems for network operators.</p><p>"By designing infrastructure that can be repurposed for other community uses postevent, and implementing green technologies and sustainable practices," Chaffer said. He added that this approach gives large sporting event organizers the ability "to minimize the environmental impact of event-triggered infrastructure projects."</p>

How 5G technology is helping curb carbon emissions and waste at the Paris Games

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New York will ban gas stoves in new buildings as part of its new budget agreement.</li><li>It represents a win for environmentalists who hope to reduce the state's reliance on fossil fuel.</li></ul><p>Gas stoves are out in New York. </p><p>New York lawmakers came to the agreement as part of a $229 billion state budget deal, which includes a plethora of modernizations to state laws, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/27/nyregion/budget-minimum-wage-bail.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> reported.</p><p>Among them is a ban on natural gas in new buildings, a proposition that previously led to a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gas-vs-electric-stove-debate-culture-war-aoc-ted-cruz-2023-1">frenzy of right-wing panic</a>. For environmental advocates, it represents a win as they aim to reduce the state's fossil fuel dependency.</p><p>Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the budget deal was a "race to the right results." The new budget is expected to be approved by a vote as early as next week. </p><p>"I know this budget process has taken a little extra time, but our commitment to the future of New York was driving this," Hochul said Thursday, per the Times. </p><p>The ban on natural gas in new buildings will phase in at the end of 2025, and it will not apply to current gas stove owners, the Times reported. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/About-CPSC/Commissioner/Richard-Trumka/Statement/CPSC-Approves-Request-for-Information-on-Gas-Stove-Hazards-and-Potential-Solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consumer Protection Safety Commission</a> said in March it was seeking information as to the potential health risks of gas stove emissions in the home, including a potential link to childhood asthma. </p><p>The budget deal also allows the New York Power Authority to manufacture and own wind and solar energy projects, the Times reported.</p>

New York will ban gas stoves in new buildings in an effort to meet emissions reduction goals

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US Steel's plant in Gary, Indiana, aims to deploy carbon capture to reduce its carbon footprint by 2026.</li><li>The technology will capture 0.5% of the steel mill's carbon dioxide emissions.</li></ul><p>A more-than-century-old steel mill in Gary, Indiana, plans to be a testing ground for a controversial <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modularity-reshaping-climate-tech-and-infrastructure-startups-2024-2">climate technology</a>.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-first-commercial-carbon-capture-facility-opens-2023-11">Carbon capture</a> is coming to US Steel's GaryWorks plant on the south shore of Lake Michigan, which churns out the steel that shapes modern life, from buildings and bridges to cars and wind turbines.</p><p>All that production comes with an environmental cost. GaryWorks is Indiana's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/ghgrp-state-and-tribal-fact-sheet">largest polluter of carbon dioxide</a>, federal data shows. US Steel said it can cut those emissions by about 0.5% a year by 2026 using technology from the company CarbonFree. If completed, the project would be the first commercial carbon capture at a steel plant.</p><p>"It's progress, not perfection," Erika Chan, US Steel's head of sustainability, told Business Insider. "We're excited about the possibilities and potential."</p><p>That potential is up for debate. Many climate advocates and some researchers warn that carbon capture is an unproven distraction from other solutions that could rid steelmaking of a lot more fossil fuels and unhealthy pollutants. But those solutions are also in the early stages of development, and backers of carbon capture say curbing some emissions now is better than none at all.</p><p>There's a lot at stake in the race to clean up steelmaking. Globally, the industry accounts for 8% of emissions. It's also one <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/decarbonize-steel-green-uk-scientists-how-to-cut-pollution-steel-2023-2">of the hardest to make green</a> because it requires a lot of power, heat, and coal and iron ore in most cases. Governments and companies are now pouring billions of dollars into projects trying to solve the problem.</p><p>For its part, CarbonFree will spend about $150 million to build out its technology at GaryWorks, according to CEO Martin Keighley. He said his company can earn "strong returns" by selling calcium carbonate, a substance made from the captured carbon and other chemicals, to manufacturers of paint, paper, plastic, and pharmaceuticals. Once operational, CarbonFree can also claim about $3 million a year in federal tax breaks.</p><div type="image" title="A 3D rendering of CarbonFree's carbon capture technology at US Steel's plant in Gary, Indiana." height="2160" width="3840" msid="109035511" hostid="261" sizebytes="165578"></div><p>Keighley said an outside firm is vetting the carbon capture project at GaryWorks to verify that it will reduce emissions, even though a small amount of gas will be used to power the system.</p><p>The company — which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bp.com/en_us/united-states/home/news/press-releases/carbonfree-and-bp-collaborate-to-help-bring-carbon-capture-and-utilization-technology-to-industrial-sites-around-the-world.html">counts BP among its investors</a> — won't sell the captured carbon from GaryWorks for use in oil and gas production, Keighley added.</p><p>Most of the carbon captured at industrial sites today is piped to oil fields and injected back underground to squeeze out more oil, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgreporting/supply-underground-injection-and-geologic-sequestration-carbon-dioxide">according to the EPA</a>. This fuels climate advocates' complaints that the technology will extend the life of the industry most responsible for the climate crisis.</p><h2><strong>'Small drop in a very big bucket'</strong></h2><p>Ben Inskeep, the program director of Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, told BI that even if emissions reductions are realized at GaryWorks, it will be "a small drop in a very big bucket."</p><p>"It's not a viable pathway to decarbonize GaryWorks," Inskeep said of carbon capture. "A lot of really terrible pollution will continue and this carbon capture project won't address the magnitude of the problem."</p><p>Aside from being the top carbon dioxide emitter in Indiana, GaryWorks is also a top producer of other harmful air pollutants like carbon monoxide and particulate matter. The mill is <a target="_blank" href="https://globalenergymonitor.org/projects/global-blast-furnace-tracker/summary-tables/">among just 10 in the country</a> still using blast furnaces — the dirtiest way to make steel because they burn coal and iron ore. The residents of Gary, who are majority Black, <a target="_blank" href="https://grist.org/regulation/epa-crackdown-steel-mill-pollution-gary-indiana-lawsuits/">are suffering from the health effects</a>, Inskeep said.</p><p>"We've been advocating for truly sustainable steel that moves away from the blast furnaces," Inskeep said.</p><p>Most American steelmakers have switched to cleaner electric-arc furnaces, which melt down scrap metal into new steel. There's also emerging technology that could avoid coal and natural gas altogether by using green hydrogen and renewable electricity — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/decarbonize-steel-green-uk-scientists-how-to-cut-pollution-steel-2023-2">though it hasn't reached commercial scale</a>.</p><p>Chan said both of those strategies are included in US Steel's goal to have net-zero emissions by 2050. She noted that US Steel acquired and expanded <a target="_blank" href="https://www.localmemphis.com/article/money/us-steel-mill-east-arkansas-economic-impact/522-7eb9a294-1a0f-4b38-8e04-5b984acd4af1">a site in East Arkansas</a> with electric-arc furnaces that have 70% to 80% lower emissions than blast furnaces.</p><p>Those projects require a lot of capital, Chan said. CarbonFree's technology doesn't require US Steel to make new investments.</p><p>Another American steelmaker, Cleveland Cliffs, in March announced it planned to spend about $1.4 billion in Ohio and Pennsylvania to replace a blast furnace with a "hydrogen-ready" plant and electrify other furnaces. The plan is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/629/cleveland-cliffs-selected-to-receive-575-million-in-us">contingent on a potentially half-billion-dollar grant</a> from the Department of Energy.</p><p>Inskeep said he'd like to see US Steel follow a similar path.</p><p>"These are companies making billions of dollars in profits a year," Inskeep said. "US Steel is in the process of being acquired, potentially. It's very capable of making very large investments."</p><p>Chan said she couldn't comment on negotiations with Nippon Steel, a Japanese rival</p><p>trying to take over the company. However, both are aligned on making climate action a priority, she added. The deal is under review by national security regulators, although President Joe Biden and The United Steelworkers union have opposed it.</p><p>Meanwhile, CarbonFree aims to start running its carbon capture system at GaryWorks in 2026 and hopes to expand it over the 20-year agreement.</p><p>"I believe strongly that in the next 20 to 30 years, we will still be releasing Co2 from industrial steel, cement, refineries, and plastic making," Keighley said. "Let's stop those emissions now and do something useful with them."</p>

You Searched For "emissions reductions" and got 6 results

Carbon Emission Reduction Strategies

The Covid lockdowns did WHAT to the Moon?!

Ashmita Gupta

On the right track — Economic Survey 2023-24 outlines India’s commendable climate action

Ankush Banerjee

How 5G technology is helping curb carbon emissions and waste at the Paris Games

Chris Stokel-Walker

New York will ban gas stoves in new buildings in an effort to meet emissions reduction goals

Katie Balevic

North America's largest steel mill has a plan to reduce emissions and it's a perfect example of why carbon capture is so controversial

Catherine Boudreau

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