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It’s one thing to read about <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword> and <keyword id="19951337" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carbon-emissions" source="keywords">carbon emissions</keyword> in an article, and quite another to see the toxic fumes engulfing your entire country — swirling over it like a certain menacing doom. <keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword> recently unveiled a groundbreaking visualisation tool that offers an unprecedented look at how carbon dioxide (CO2) moves around our planet. This high-resolution model provides a stunning, animated map of <keyword id="22576003" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-CO2-concentrations" source="keywords">global CO2 concentrations</keyword>, revealing the complex patterns of this crucial <keyword id="20719964" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gas" source="keywords">greenhouse gas</keyword>. <div type="Youtube" id="zZ-lMDtiI-k" title="Model Behavior: Visualizing Global Carbon Dioxide" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zZ-lMDtiI-k/mqdefault.jpg"><url><![CDATA[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ-lMDtiI-k]]></url></div>By combining billions of data points from satellites and ground observations, NASA scientists created a dynamic picture of how CO2 is emitted, transported, and absorbed across the globe. This interactive map showcases <keyword id="22576002" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CO2-concentrations" source="keywords">CO2 concentrations</keyword> as they shifted through Earth's atmosphere from January to March 2020, influenced by wind patterns and atmospheric circulation. With its exceptional detail, you can zoom in to pinpoint CO2 emissions rising from power plants, fires, and urban areas, as they spread across continents and oceans. Over India, you can see the greenhouse gas blowing over from neighbouring continents and also originating from the subcontinent. The pulsating oranges indicate CO2 concentrations of 420-460 ppm over India. <h2>The sources of CO2 </h2>One of the most striking features of the map is its ability to zoom in on specific regions, allowing viewers to see CO2 emissions rising from individual cities and industrial complexes. This level of detail provides a clear and compelling picture of human activities' impact on the environment. The map highlights distinct emission patterns across different regions. In China, the United States, and South Asia, power plants, industrial facilities, and vehicles were the primary contributors to CO2 emissions. Conversely, in Africa and South America, fires ignited by land management practices, agricultural burning, and deforestation, along with the combustion of oil and coal, were the main sources. <h2>Pulsating gases</h2>The map also highlights the role of natural systems in the carbon cycle. Forests, oceans, and other ecosystems absorb vast amounts of CO2, acting as vital carbon sinks. However, the visualisation also reveals how human activities are overwhelming these natural systems, leading to a buildup of CO2 in the atmosphere. Further, the map exhibits a pulsating appearance. This is because, firstly, fires typically intensify during daylight hours and subside at night, creating a diurnal pattern. Secondly, the absorption and release of CO2 by plants during photosynthesis and respiration contribute to the fluctuations. This pulsing effect is particularly noticeable in regions with abundant vegetation, such as mid- to high-latitude forests and tropical areas. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112021374" title="Scientists found a groundbreaking new reason to plant more trees" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>“This map is a powerful tool for understanding the scale and complexity of the climate crisis,” said [Quote from NASA scientist]. “It shows us where the biggest problems are and where we need to focus our efforts to reduce emissions.” The data behind the map comes from NASA's <keyword id="22576004" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="goddard-earth-observing-system" source="keywords">Goddard Earth Observing System</keyword> (GEOS), a sophisticated model that simulates Earth's atmosphere with incredible detail. By applying this model to CO2, scientists have gained new insights into the gas's behaviour and its impact on the planet. As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, tools like this are essential for informing policy decisions, tracking progress, and inspiring action. NASA’s CO2 map is a remarkable achievement that offers a glimpse into the urgent need to transition to a low-carbon future. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111566431" title="June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

WATCH: A NASA animation shows gigantic plumes of carbon dioxide emissions swirling over India

With millions of people across five continents experiencing scorching heat last month, the European Union's (EU) climate agency, Copernicus <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">Climate Change</keyword> Service (C3S), confirmed on Monday that June was the warmest on record. It also marked the 12th consecutive month of <keyword id="20524196" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-temperatures" source="keywords">global temperatures</keyword> reaching <keyword id="22325521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="1-5-degrees-Celsius" source="keywords">1.5 degrees Celsius</keyword> above the pre-industrial average. According to scientists at C3S, every month since June last year has been the warmest such month on record. In January, the world completed an entire year with the mean surface air temperature exceeding the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold. June was the 12th consecutive month with monthly average temperatures above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. At the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris, world leaders committed to limiting the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial period to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. However, a permanent breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit specified in the <keyword id="20104670" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Agreement" source="keywords">Paris Agreement</keyword> refers to long-term warming over a 20 or 30-year period. Earth's global surface temperature has already increased by around 1.2 degrees Celsius compared to the average in 1850-1900 due to the rapidly-increasing concentration of <keyword id="20649149" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="greenhouse-gases" source="keywords">greenhouse gases</keyword> -- primarily carbon dioxide and methane -- in the atmosphere. This warming is considered to be the reason behind record droughts, wildfires and floods worldwide. According to new data, June 2024 was the warmest on record, with an average surface air temperature of 16.66 degrees Celsius, 0.67 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for the month and 0.14 degrees Celsius above the previous high set in June 2023. "The month was 1.5 degrees Celsius above the estimated June average for 1850-1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period, making it the 12th consecutive month to reach or break the 1.5-degree threshold," C3S said in a statement. It was also the 13th consecutive month of <keyword id="21477127" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="record-high-temperatures" source="keywords">record-high temperatures</keyword>, a result of the combined effect of the 2023-24 El Nino event and human-caused climate change. While unusual, a similar streak of monthly global temperature records happened previously in 2015-16. "This is more than a statistical oddity and highlights a large and continuing shift in our climate. Even if this specific streak of extremes ends at some point, we are bound to see new records being broken as the climate continues to warm. This is inevitable, unless we stop adding greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and the oceans," said Carlo Buontempo, the director of C3S. The European climate agency said the global average temperature for the last 12 months (July 2023-June 2024) is the highest on record, at 0.76 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average and 1.64 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. The world's sea surface in June was also the highest ever recorded for the month. Several countries experienced record-breaking heat and devastating floods and storms in June. According to an analysis by Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators based in the United States, more than 60 per cent of the world population faced extreme heat that was made at least three times more likely by climate change during June 16-24. Climate Central said the blistering heat in June impacted 619 million (61.9 crore) people in India, 579 million (57.9 crore) in China, 231 million (23.1 crore) in Indonesia, 206 million (20.6 crore) in Nigeria, 176 million (17.6 crore) in Brazil, 171 million (17.1 crore) in Bangladesh, 165 million (16.5 crore) in the US, 152 million (15.2 crore) in Europe, 123 million (12.3 crore) in Mexico, 121 million (12.1 crore) in Ethiopia and 103 million (10.3 crore) in Egypt. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), northwest India recorded its warmest June since 1901. India, which experienced one of its hottest and longest heatwaves, recorded more than 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and over 100 heat-related deaths. The intense heat overwhelmed the water supply system and power grids, with Delhi grappling with a severe water crisis. According to the IMD, 11 states recorded 20 to 38 heatwave days -- up to four times the usual number of such days -- during the April-to-June period. The mercury breached 50 degrees Celsius in parts of Rajasthan, with night temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius in many places. Temperatures were most above average over eastern Canada, the western United States and Mexico, Brazil, northern Siberia, the Middle East, northern Africa, and western Antarctica. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-ipo-mukesh-ambani-led-telco-might-be-gearing-up-for-indias-biggest-ipo/articleshow/111519009.cms">Reliance Jio IPO – Mukesh Ambani-led telco might be gearing up for India’s biggest IPO</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-vs-airtel-vs-vi-prepaid-plans-comparison-plan-benefits-and-price-comparison-after-tariff-hike/articleshow/111512587.cms">Jio vs Airtel vs Vi recharge plans comparison – plan benefits and price comparison after tariff hike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/hp-envy-x360-14-review/articleshow/111407165.cms">HP Envy x360 14 review – feature-packed laptop with a sleek design</a>

June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold

Christopher <keyword id="20808534" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="columbus" source="keywords">Columbus</keyword>'s arrival in the <keyword id="20049715" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="americas" source="keywords">Americas</keyword> in 1492 is often viewed as a significant moment in history, signalling the start of a new era of exploration and colonisation. However, the impact went beyond human history, affecting the Earth's climate. Columbus' <keyword id="92608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="expedition" source="Orion">expedition</keyword> to the Americas brought not only conquest and exploitation but also diseases like smallpox and influenza, devastating <keyword id="6506269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indigenous-population" source="Orion">indigenous population</keyword>s who lacked immunity. It's estimated that 80% to 95% of the indigenous population perished within 150 years of European contact, from millions to less than 500. This population decline had a profound effect on global atmospheric compositions, as revealed by ice cores. These cores, extracted from glaciers, preserve air bubbles that reflect the atmosphere's composition over time. Antarctic ice bubbles from the 16th and 17th centuries showed a notable drop in <keyword id="48468" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="carbon-dioxide" source="Orion">carbon dioxide</keyword> levels, which the study's authors attributed to the decline of indigenous populations and subsequent reforestation absorbing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The research also addressed a debate about ice cores' data reliability, comparing <keyword id="20944231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="law-dome" source="keywords">Law Dome</keyword> and West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) cores. The analysis of a newly drilled Skytrain Ice Rise core confirmed the forest regrowth's gradual carbon dioxide absorption, supporting the idea of significant land use changes in the Americas after Columbus' arrival. This study highlights the link between historical human actions and climate change, demonstrating a rare phenomenon of human-induced cooling. It underscores humanity's significant impact on Earth's climate balance. The findings of this research has been published in Nature Communications.

Columbus' voyages sparked epidemics that killed so many people, it may have crashed carbon dioxide levels worldwide

<ul class="summary-list"><li>An illegal trade in greenhouse gases is threatening <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-gas-prices-energy-oil-2022-7">US climate goals</a>.</li><li>Refrigerant smuggling has persisted since the 1990s, when regulations arose to close the ozone hole.</li></ul>Plenty of legitimate business drives <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-residents-moving-leaving-climate-change-refugees-hurricanes-flood-2023-2">the climate crisis</a> — any industry that runs on fossil fuels or cow burps is helping raise our planet's temperature, endangering lives and economies for decades to come. But there's also a blooming black market in greenhouse gases.The shadowy trade had a moment in the sun on Monday, when the Department of Justice brought charges against a San Diego man, saying that he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-man-india-arrested-trying-to-smuggle-gold-wig-rectum-2022-4">smuggled</a> hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the country.HFCs are commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners, but they're also potent greenhouse gases. In the atmosphere, their warming effect can be hundreds to thousands of times as powerful as that of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-celebrities-ranked-on-private-jet-co2-emissions-2022-7">carbon dioxide</a>. That's why their import is strictly regulated.<div type="image" title="man wearing blue shirt and hat works on panel on the side of a large outdoor air conditioning unit" height="1500" width="2250" msid="108353745" hostid="261"></div>The indictment alleges that Michael Hart bought the chemicals in Mexico, hid them in his truck under a tarp as he drove back to the US, posted them on OfferUp and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-sell-on-facebook-marketplace-beginners-side-hustle-2022-11">Facebook Marketplace</a>, and sold them for profit."This is the first time the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-pardon-kushner-drug-smuggler-jonathan-braun-doj-predatory-lending-2023-11">Department of Justice</a> is prosecuting someone for illegally importing greenhouse gases," US Attorney Tara McGrath said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/san-diego-man-first-nation-be-charged-smuggling-potent-greenhouse-gases-united-states">statement</a>. "It will not be the last."There's been a thriving black market for climate-altering refrigerant chemicals since the 1990s, at times as lucrative as selling cocaine. As time runs out to avoid catastrophic levels of climate change, Hart's case is just the first in the government's new concerted effort to end this <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/show/how-crime-works">illegal business</a> once and for all.<h2>New chemicals have brought new problems</h2>Unlike in the Hart case, greenhouse gases often come in on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/freight-recession-rocks-global-shipping-container-rates-plunge-75-percent-2023-7">shipping containers</a>, intentionally labeled as something else, experts told Business Insider.<div type="image" title="wall of blue and red shipping containers" height="1500" width="2250" msid="108353746" hostid="261"></div>This smuggling method has persisted over two decades and three generations of refrigerants, starting with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Those chemicals famously made a hole in the ozone layer, until the 1987 Montreal Protocol, when 24 countries agreed to phase them out. The following generation of refrigerants, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), have now been replaced with HFCs."They're all produced in the same factories. They're all used in the same types of products. They're all distributed to the same channels," David Doniger, a senior federal strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council who has championed efforts to stop production of each of these chemicals, told Business Insider.Unlike their predecessors, HFCs don't create holes in the ozone layer, but they're still considered super pollutants for their aggressive heat-trapping capacity. That's why countries are now phasing them out, too.<div type="image" title="ozone layer hol in a green global earth view showing Antarctica with a giant blue patch over it" height="1535" width="2048" msid="108353747" hostid="261"></div>Ditching HFCs could help avoid up to 0.5°C of global warming by 2100, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-enforcement-actions-control-hydrofluorocarbon-imports">EPA</a>. That may sound small, but remember that world leaders aim to limit warming to 1.5 degrees since 2 degrees would be far more catastrophic to human health and political and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-gen-z-no-point-saving-climate-change-inflation-homeownership-2022-5">economic stability</a>. That half-a-degree matters.Smuggling puts this goal in jeopardy, Avipsa Mahapatra, a climate campaign lead with the Environmental Investigation Agency, told Business Insider.<h2>A new anti-smuggling task force is cracking down</h2><div type="image" title="man in surgical mask and protective eyewear holds a refrigerant gas tank at a lineup of tanks hooked up to pipes" height="1500" width="2250" msid="108353748" hostid="261"></div>In 2021, the EPA, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and other government agencies <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/us-takes-aim-violators-greenhouse-gas-phasedown-and-reporting-programs">created</a> an interdepartmental task force aimed at stopping the illegal importation of HFCs.In 2022 alone, the task force <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-enforcement-actions-control-hydrofluorocarbon-imports">seized</a> enough illegal HFCs to emit 889,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide — the equivalent of powering 173,000 homes with electricity for a year."That just gives us a tip of the iceberg," Mahapatra said.Since both the task force is relatively new, it's difficult to say how much HFCs smugglers are bringing into the US.In addition to Hart's case, this month the DOJ announced charges that a woman attempted to smuggle four 24-pound HFC cylinders. The indictment alleges she was paid $100 for taking them across the border from Mexico.The two recent US-Mexico border cases could be, in part, because Mexico's HFC phase-out timeline is slower than that of the US and there's a greater stockpile of the chemicals there. That creates a new route in addition to shipping container smuggling."It appears that a black market has arisen due to the regulatory scheme in the treaty which provides for differing phase out schedules for the United States and Mexico," a spokesperson from the US Attorney's Office Southern District of California, which is prosecuting both cases, told Business Insider in an email.This landscape "creates a significant price differential due to the restrictions on supply in the United States that do not exist in Mexico," the statement added. "We will continue to prosecute these cases.""Ultimately, illegal trade in HFCs is fueled by the ongoing consumer demand," Mahapatra said. Sometimes appliance servicers might purchase them to fill up a customer's air conditioner refrigerant, for example.The EPA has allowed some importers to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/climate-hfcs-reduction/frequent-questions-phasedown-hydrofluorocarbons">continue</a> bringing in HFCs legally, and there are no requirements for consumers to give up existing appliances just because they run on HFCs.<h2>The next generation of refrigerants</h2><div type="image" title="yellow and grey gas tanks lined up on a warehouse floor" height="1500" width="2250" msid="108353750" hostid="261"></div>The black market "comes with the territory" of regulation, Doniger said. The same thing happened in the 1990s, when the US was phasing out CFCs.A 1996 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/10/us/a-chilling-change-in-the-contraband-being-seized-at-borders.html">New York Times story</a> said CFC smuggling was "more profitable than cocaine." A $42 canister of Freon could sell for as much as $550.By 2002, the US had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2002/March/02_enrd_129.htm">convicted</a> 114 people of illegally importing the chemicals. One refrigerant company was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/archive/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/e9f3b8f71138963e852565020067235a.html">fined</a> over $37 million for importing more than 4,000 tons of CFCs.At the height of the CFC black market, many cars still used those refrigerants for their air conditioners. With fewer pre-1993 vehicles on the road, the demand for these refrigerants has dropped.Eventually, something similar could happen with HFCs. Some of the proposed <a target="_blank" href="https://drawdown.org/solutions/alternative-refrigerants">alternatives</a> for refrigerants include ammonia, propane, isobutane, CO2, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-08/documents/new_climate-friendly_motor_vehicle_air_conditioning_refrigerants.pdf">hydrofluoroolefins</a> (HFOs), many of which are currently <a target="_blank" href="https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/fluorinated-greenhouse-gases/climate-friendly-alternatives-hfcs_en">used</a> in refrigerators and air conditioners in Europe."We think that the real solution is to find systemic changes," Mahapatra said. "We cannot keep using these super pollutants in our refrigerators, in our air conditioners, in our cars."

Greenhouse gas smuggling was as lucrative as cocaine in the '90s. It's back &mdash; and the US government is cracking down with 2 new arrests.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US can still achieve President Biden's climate goals despite the SCOTUS ruling, analysts say.</li><li>New <keyword id="12330096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="epa" source="Orion">EPA</keyword> rules curbing power plant pollution must be paired with faster federal and state action.</li></ul>This article is part of Insider's weekly newsletter on <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword>, written by Catherine Boudreau, senior sustainability reporter.President Joe Biden made a key climate promise on the campaign trail: He would put the US on a path to cut its greenhouse-gas emissions in half by 2030.That goal is still achievable <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-limits-greenhouse-gas-regulations-west-virginia-v-epa-2022-6">despite the Supreme Court's big climate ruling</a>, analysts say. It will just be a rockier and more expensive ride. The court's decision means that the <keyword id="12338657" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="environmental-protection-agency" source="Orion">Environmental Protection Agency</keyword> can't set statewide limits on power-plant emissions to create a de facto cap-and-trade market and, in so doing, nudge the transition toward renewable energy. Instead, the agency will have to cut pollution plant by plant, likely by instructing each one on the best technologies to use. Letting the market dictate solutions would have been more efficient and less costly, said Dave Doniger, the senior strategic director for climate and energy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. Now, the EPA will have to examine technology for capturing and storing carbon, switching to cleaner fuels like hydrogen and making energy-efficiency upgrades. "The approach that's left under the Clean Air Act will be less flexible for companies and could have the unintended effect of making controlling emissions more expensive than it needed to be," Doniger, who led air-pollution policy at the EPA during the Clinton administration, said during a press conference last week. Hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, like all climate solutions, aren't moonshots. They are <a href="https://www.iea.org/commentaries/is-carbon-capture-too-expensive">expensive to scale up</a> and critics worry both technologies will end up as false promises that pave the way for more fossil-fuel infrastructure. The high cost is one reason why carbon capture and storage has failed to take off, with only 27 systems operating commercially around the globe; only two of them are at power plants in North America. <a href="https://www.globalccsinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Global-Status-of-CCS-2021-Global-CCS-Institute-1121.pdf">But more than 100 are in the works</a> globally, and a panel of international climate scientists <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/">have said the technology is key</a> to keeping global warming under control. Any new EPA rule for power plants will have to be paired with accelerated federal and state actions this year, as well as new laws by Congress, for Biden to keep his climate promise, <a href="https://rhg.com/research/supreme-court-2030-climate-target/">according to a team of researchers at the Rhodium Group</a>. "If any front fails to act, it will be increasingly difficult to see a reasonable path to the 2030 climate target," the group wrote.The EPA is moving forward with stricter limits on pollution from tailpipes and oil and gas infrastructure, but a $300 billion package of clean-energy tax credits is still stalled in Congress. State public-utility commissions that regulate the power sector now have a more important role to play because the high court's decision will be a lifeline to utilities that aren't planning to retire their coal assets any time soon, said Matt Kasper, the deputy director at the Energy and Policy Institute, a watchdog group that exposes attacks on renewable energy."Commissions have to regulate rates in the public interest, and we're seeing that renewables are the cheapest option," Kasper said. "They have the power to rapidly get companies off <keyword id="11970530" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fossil-fuels" source="Orion">fossil fuels</keyword>."Insider is seeking nominations for its first Climate Action 30 list, which identifies the top 30 global leaders working toward climate solutions.Tell us about someone who you believe is doing some of the most impactful or promising work to tackle the global climate crisis:

The Supreme Court didn't make it impossible for the US to meet its climate goals — but the ruling likely made it harder and more expensive

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11898795" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sec" source="Orion">SEC</keyword> released a proposal that would require companies to disclose climate-related financial risks.</li><li><keyword id="12002886" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate" source="Orion">Climate</keyword> Advisor <keyword id="13431976" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gina-mccarthy" source="Orion">Gina McCarthy</keyword> said it's a "huge step" toward protecting Americans' savings.</li></ul>President Joe <keyword id="60973" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="biden" source="Orion">Biden</keyword>'s administration wants to ensure American companies are accounting for financial risks brought on by the worsening <keyword id="11896310" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-crisis" source="Orion">climate crisis</keyword>.On Monday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released a proposal that would require companies to disclose their <keyword id="11984592" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greenhouse-gas" source="Orion">greenhouse gas</keyword> emissions and other "climate-related risks" that would impact their business and financial standing, according to the <a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2022-46">press release</a>. As National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy explained on Twitter, companies' emissions data would be independently audited to ensure all data is accurate and reflective of the amount of emissions."This is a huge step forward to protect our <keyword id="11893570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="economy" source="Orion">economy</keyword> and boost transparency for investors and the public," McCarthy wrote."This climate disclosure rule will be good for business and good for the American people," she added. "We know climate change poses a systemic risk to our economy, and more transparency will empower better decision-making by investors, retirement plans, and pension funds."This is Biden's latest step in attempting to shield Americans from financial hits related to climate change. As Insider previously reported, the president <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-climate-change-crisis-protect-savings-retirements-pensions-banks-economy-2021-10">unveiled</a> a plan in October with strategies to mitigate the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-climate-change-crisis-protect-retirement-savings-2-main-risks-2021-11">two main risks</a> brought on by the climate crisis: physical risks brought on by extreme weather that could damage assets, and transition risks that refer to costs incurred when shifting away from a carbon-focused economy toward clean energy, like wind and solar.The SEC's proposal is intended to build on those protections. Should the rule go into effect, it would require companies to disclose four things:<ol><li>How the company is managing climate-related risks</li><li>How likely it is that any climate-related risks will have a material impact over businesses in the short and long-term</li><li>How any climate-related risks have affected or are likely to affect business models</li><li>And the impact of natural disasters on companies' financial statements.</li></ol>The public has 60 days to comment on this proposal.With the climate crisis continuing to worsen, many experts argue these changes can't come any sooner. The United Nations recently <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-alter-human-life-un-ipcc-report-2022-2">reported</a> that up to 3.6 billion people are highly vulnerable to climate change, and if temperatures continue to rise, some cities may become uninhabitable.With so many people's lives, and finances, at stake, SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement that "investors representing literally tens of trillions of dollars support climate-related disclosures because they recognize that climate risks can pose significant financial risks to companies, and investors need reliable information about climate risks to make informed investment decisions.""Companies and investors alike would benefit from the clear rules of the road proposed in this release," Gensler said. "I believe the SEC has a role to play when there's this level of demand for consistent and comparable information that may affect financial performance."

Biden's administration just took a 'huge step' to protect retirements and pensions against climate crisis risks, top advisor says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A global map of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sinema-proposal-methane-emissions-fee-greenhouse-gas-emissions-2021-11">methane emissions</a> reveals that <keyword id="13098504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pipelines" source="Orion">pipelines</keyword> release tons of the potent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/supply-chain-crisis-causes-highest-carbon-emission-rate-since-2008-2021-12">greenhouse gas</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lightning-megaflash-over-us-south-is-longest-ever-recorded-2022-2">Satellite images</a> captured large <keyword id="12459827" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="methane" source="Orion">methane</keyword> plumes from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-democrats-with-fossil-fuel-stocks-investments-2021-12">fossil-fuel</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houston-based-oil-company-indicted-southern-california-oil-spill-2021-12">infrastructure</a> on a daily basis.</li></ul>A new map of global <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/methanes-warming-power-spurs-sustainability-solutions-in-agriculture-2021-10">methane</a> plumes reveals pipelines are spilling far more of the powerful pollutant — possibly twice as much — than countries are reporting.Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a heat-trapping capacity 30 times higher than carbon dioxide, even though it doesn't last as long in the atmosphere. It's one of the main gases driving global warming.An estimated one-quarter of humans' methane <keyword id="12152918" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="emissions" source="Orion">emissions</keyword> come from extracting coal, oil, and natural gas for fuel. Occasionally, the wells and pipelines that carry that fuel will experience a major leak.But a new planet-wide map, based on thousands of <keyword id="12292571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="satellite-images" source="Orion">satellite images</keyword>, reveals that fossil-fuel operations are secretly leaking far more methane than researchers thought, and they're doing it on a daily basis.<div type="image" title="satellite image show green methane plume in the southern united states" height="1874" width="2499" msid="89332853" hostid="261"></div>"We didn't realize initially that every day we would find these giant emitters around the globe," Thomas Lauvaux, a researcher studying greenhouse-gas emissions at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), who led the mapping effort, told Insider."It's leaking everywhere," he added, "and we're not doing a good job."Lauvaux led an international team of researchers to analyze two years of daily data from Europe's Sentinel-5P satellite, from 2019 through 2020. The view from space revealed 1,800 methane plumes. Most of these hotspots — 1,200 of them, primarily in the US and western Asia — are linked to fossil-fuel extraction operations, like oil and gas pipelines.<div type="image" title="world map shows oil gas pipelines with clusters of orange dots representing major methane emissions" height="4005" width="5341" msid="89332855" hostid="261"></div>"We thought it would happen once in a while, and they were very specific events in specific places, accidental mostly," Lauvaux said, adding, "Not at all. They're very systematic. They come back a lot along the infrastructure: pipelines and compressor stations and wells."He suspects that many of these methane plumes come from routine maintenance."They open the valves, and the methane and natural gas blow out, and in the meantime, they can fix whatever they have to fix," he said.Lauvaux's team consists of researchers from CNRS, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), and the data-analytics company Kayrros. Their <a href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm1676">study</a> was published in the journal <keyword id="11896083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="science" source="Orion">Science</keyword> on Thursday.Based on this and a <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22042020/permian-basin-methane-emissions-texas-new-mexico/">series</a> of <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c04117">prior</a> <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aar7204">studies</a> that have <a href="https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2474/Airborne-research-shows-East-Coast-cities-emitting-twice-as-much-methane-as-estimated">measured methane</a> at particular sites, Lauvaux roughly estimates that human activities could be emitting twice as much methane as governments report.<h2>The methane map is 'scary,' but it represents a big opportunity</h2><div type="image" title="yellow gas pipeline above worker in blue jumpsuit in snow" height="1549" width="2065" msid="89332856" hostid="261"></div>The methane plumes in the new map have a warming effect on Earth's atmosphere that's comparable to 20 million additional vehicles on the road for one year, according to the study."It's a little scary," Lauvaux said, adding, "Very few leaks are responsible for a huge amount of methane."But it also presents an opportunity: If governments and fossil-fuel companies stop these few major leaks, it will make a big dent in their emissions. It's low-hanging fruit, Lauvaux said, and stopping routine leaks could even save companies money.In the US, ultra-emitters could save $250 per ton of methane if they eliminate routine leaks, the researchers calculated.The US, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Iran are some of the biggest culprits on Lauvaux's map. He was surprised to find relatively few methane flares in oil states like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq. He's not sure why — that's a subject for future research. Still, Lauvaux's team estimated that their map represents just one-tenth of the fossil-fuel industry's total methane emissions. These are just the biggest plumes, releasing more than 25 metric tons of methane per hour. There are surely many smaller plumes that the satellite can't detect.What's more, Lauvaux had to leave the Permian Basin — a major US gas field — out of his analysis, because the baseline methane levels there were too high to detect individual plumes."We have more work to do than we imagine," Lauvaux said, adding, "That's for sure."

You Searched For "greenhouse effect" and got 7 results

WATCH: A NASA animation shows gigantic plumes of carbon dioxide emissions swirling over India

BI India Bureau

June warmest on record; every month since July 2023 breached 1.5 deg C threshold

PTI

Columbus' voyages sparked epidemics that killed so many people, it may have crashed carbon dioxide levels worldwide

Ankush Banerjee

Greenhouse gas smuggling was as lucrative as cocaine in the '90s. It's back and the US government is cracking down with 2 new arrests.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen,Jenny M…

The Supreme Court didn't make it impossible for the US to meet its climate goals — but the ruling likely made it harder and more expensive

Catherine Boudreau

Biden's administration just took a 'huge step' to protect retirements and pensions against climate crisis risks, top advisor says

Ayelet Sheffey

Views from space reveal huge methane leaks in the US and Asia. They could be easy spots to cut emissions and save money.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

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