Showing 20 articles starting at article 21
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Energy: Fossil Fuels, Environmental: Wildfires
Published Fuel treatments reduce future wildfire severity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There is a common belief that prescribed burning, thinning trees, and clearing underbrush reduce risks of the severity of future fires. But is that true? A new project analyzing 40 studies where wildfire burned into different vegetation treatments, spanning 11 western states. Researchers found overwhelming evidence that in seasonally dry mixed conifer forests in the western U.S., reducing surface and ladder fuels and tree density through thinning, coupled with prescribed burning or pile burning, could reduce future wildfire severity by more than 60% relative to untreated areas.
Published Large wildfires create weather that favors more fire
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows soot from large wildfires in California traps sunlight, making days warmer and drier than they ought to be.
Published New way to spot beetle-killed spruce can help forest, wildfire managers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new machine-learning system can automatically produce detailed maps from satellite data to show locations of likely beetle-killed spruce trees in Alaska, even in forests of low and moderate infestation where identification is otherwise difficult. The automated process can help forestry and wildfire managers in their decisions. That's critical as the beetle infestation spreads.
Published A 'liquid battery' advance
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team aims to improve options for renewable energy storage through work on an emerging technology -- liquids for hydrogen storage.
Published Fighting fires from space in record time: How AI could prevent devastating wildfires
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are getting closer to detecting bushfires in record time, thanks to cube satellites with onboard AI now able to detect fires from space 500 times faster than traditional on-ground processing of imagery.
Published Innovative demand strategies for clean energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A perspective piece describes innovative strategies that significantly reduce both resource consumption and fossil fuel emissions.
Published Novel mobile air monitoring technology yields greater insight into post-disaster pollution levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team has found that high resolution mass spectrometry could be a valuable tool for identifying and assessing air-borne contaminants produced by natural and human-made disasters.
Published Aerosol pollution, greenhouse gases must be reduced simultaneously to keep forest fires in check
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source If we want cleaner air, fewer forest fires, and less severe climate change, a new study shows we must reduce aerosol pollution and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide at the same time.
Published Controlling water, transforming greenhouse gases
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have outlined a way to manipulate water molecules to make CO2R more efficient, with the ultimate goal of creating a clean energy loop. Through their new method, the team was able to perform CO2R with nearly 100% efficiency under mildly acidic conditions, using either gold or zinc as catalysts.
Published Smoke covered 70% of California during biggest wildfire years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As much as 70 percent of California was covered by wildfire smoke during parts of 2020 and 2021, according to a new study.
Published Can coal mines be tapped for rare earth elements?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of geologists analyzed 3,500 samples taken in and around coal mines in Utah and Colorado. Their findings open the possibility that these mines could see a secondary resource stream in the form of rare earth metals used in renewable energy and numerous other high-tech applications.
Published Studying bubbles can lead to more efficient biofuel motors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By studying how bubbles form in a drop of biodiesel, researchers can help future engines get the most energy out of the fuel.
Published How wildfires change soil chemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Severe wildfires can drive chemical changes in soil that affect ecosystem recovery and risks to human health. A new study finds broader surveillance and modeling of these changes could inform strategies for protecting lives, property and natural resources, and managing wildlife.
Published The price tag of phasing-out coal
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Coal phase-out is necessary to solve climate change, but can have negative impacts on workers and local communities dependent on coal for their livelihoods. Researchers have studied government plans for coal phase-out around the world and discovered that more than half of such plans include monetary compensation to affected parties. This planned compensation globally amounts to USD 200 billion, but it excludes China and India, the two largest users of coal that currently do not have phase-out plans. The study shows that if China and India decide to phase out coal as fast as needed to reach the Paris climate targets and pay similar compensation, it would cost upwards of USD 2 trillion.
Published Improved wildfire smoke model identifies areas for public health intervention
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Canadian wildfires of June 2023 exposed a large portion of the Northeastern United States to unprecedented levels of smoke. A new model that combines wildfire smoke forecasts and data from ground-based sensors may help public health officials plan targeted interventions in areas most at risk for the negative health effects of unexpected smoke events and air pollution, according to scientists.
Published Wildfires in wet African forests have doubled in recent decades
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Climate change and human activities like deforestation are causing more fires in central and west Africa's wet, tropical forests, according to the first-ever comprehensive survey there. The fires have long been overlooked.
Published Methane emissions from landfill could be turned into sustainable jet fuel in plasma chemistry leap
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a chemical process using plasma that could create sustainable jet fuel from methane gas emitted from landfills, potentially creating a low-carbon aviation industry.
Published Anthropologist documents how women and shepherds historically reduced wildfire risk in Central Italy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fire management lessons from the past could help to improve resilience as the Mediterranean faces increased fire risk from climate change. How traditional land management practices once greatly reduced fuel for wildfires, and how these practices were forgotten, in part due to historical politics of classism and sexism.
Published Modeling broader effects of wildfires in Siberia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As wildfires in Siberia become more common, global climate modeling estimates significant impacts on climate, air quality, health, and economies in East Asia and across the northern hemisphere.
Published Coal train pollution increases health risks and disparities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first health impact study of coal train pollution centers on the San Francisco Bay Area, with scientists finding communities near passing coal trains suffer worse health outcomes.