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Categories: Energy: Fossil Fuels, Environmental: Wildfires
Published Rooftop solar cells can be a boon for water conservation too
(via sciencedaily.com) Electricity-generating rooftop solar cells not only save on planet-warming carbon emissions, they also save a significant amount of water. Water consumption is tightly bound to energy use, because without water we cannot mine, drill, frack, or cool thermoelectric and nuclear plants. A given household may save on average 16,200 gallons of water per year by installing rooftop solar.
Published Now you don't have to wait for smoke to know where fires are likely to occur
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have developed a way to forecast which of the Great Basin's more than 60 million acres have the highest probability of a large rangeland fire. The forecasts come from a model developed by the researchers that combines measures of accumulated annual and perennial grass vegetation that is potential fire fuel with recent weather and climate data. When integrated, this information can be translated into maps showing the likelihood of a large wildfire -- greater than 1,000 acres--across the Great Basin. These forecasts also can be scaled down to predict fire risk for counties or even single pastures.
Published Pollutants from burning structures linger in waterways post-wildfire
(via sciencedaily.com) As the frequency of wildfires has increased, so have pollutants in the waters from burned watersheds, say researchers in a review paper that highlights the need for more research in the area.
Published New laser-based instrument designed to boost hydrogen research
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed an analytical instrument that uses an ultrafast laser for precise temperature and concentration measurements of hydrogen. Researchers describe a new coherent Raman spectroscopy instrument, made possible due to a setup that converts broadband light from a laser with short (femtosecond) pulses into extremely short supercontinuum pulses, which contain a wide range of wavelengths. Their new approach could help advance the study of greener hydrogen-based fuels for use in spacecraft and airplanes.
Published New AI system predicts how to prevent wildfires
(via sciencedaily.com) A machine learning model can evaluate the effectiveness of different management strategies.
Published Smoke from the Black Summer wildfires in Australia impacted the climate and high altitude winds of the southern hemisphere for more than a year and a half
(via sciencedaily.com) The 2019/20 wildfires in Australia transported more smoke into the atmosphere than observed ever before anywhere in the world. In the so-called Black Summer, three times as many particles reached high air layers as in the previous record wildfires in Canada during summer 2017. Research now reveals the climate impact of these huge fires: Smoke particles with a total mass of around one million tonnes spread across the southern hemisphere and affected the climate for about one and a half years by warming the upper atmosphere and cooling the lower atmosphere close to Earth's surface.
Published The impact of megafires on estuaries from Australia's 'Black Summer'
(via sciencedaily.com) Estuaries are one of the most valuable biomes on Earth, and megafires -- like Australia's 2019/20 Black Summer fires -- represent an emerging threat to estuarine and coastal ecosystems, with the extent and proximity of the wildfire influencing the impact on estuaries.
Published Sulfur shortage: A potential resource crisis looming as the world decarbonizes
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study highlights that global demand for sulfuric acid is set to rise significantly from '246 to 400 million tons' by 2040 -- a result of more intensive agriculture and the world moving away from fossil fuels. A projected shortage of sulfuric acid, a crucial chemical in our modern industrial society, could stifle green technology advancement and threaten global food security, according to a new study.
Published Wildfire experts provide guidance for new research directions
(via sciencedaily.com) A new paper by dozens of wildfire experts across the nation highlights the need for a more strategic and interdisciplinary approach to pursuing wildfire research and protecting vulnerable communities.
Published Local renewable energy employment can fully replace U.S. coal jobs nationwide, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Across the United States, local wind and solar jobs can fully replace the coal-plant jobs that will be lost as the nation's power-generation system moves away from fossil fuels in the coming decades, according to a new study.
Published Dry lightning sparks some of the most destructive and costly wildfires in California
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed the first long-term climatology of dry lightning -- lightning which occurs with less than 2.5mm of rainfall -- in central and northern California.
Published Air pollution, including during wildfires, shows ill effects in children
(via sciencedaily.com) New research linking air pollution data from federal monitors in the Sacramento area of California, including during significant fires, is showing ill effects of pollution exposure among children, a new study suggests.
Published Wildfires disproportionately affect the poor
(via sciencedaily.com) With fires raging from California to Alaska, the 2022 wildfire season is off to a violent start. It's an ominous sign of what promises to be another record-breaking fire season in the U.S. Roughly 2 million acres burned last month. And major fires are currently scorching Idaho, Utah and California, threatening tens of thousands of Americans' homes and livelihoods. Many of those at risk are lower-income Americans who face canceled homeowners insurance policies and rising premiums, according to new research.
Published Smoke from Western wildfires can influence Arctic sea ice
(via sciencedaily.com) Sea ice and wildfires may be more interconnected than previously thought, according to new research.
Published Western U.S. wildfire smoke plumes are getting taller, researchers find
(via sciencedaily.com) In recent years the plumes of smoke crawling upward from Western wildfires have trended taller, with more smoke and aerosols lofted up where they can spread farther and impact air quality over a wider area. The likely cause is climate change, with decreased precipitation and increased aridity in the Western U.S. that intensifies wildfire activity.
Published New model developed to predict landslides along wildfire burn scars
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have augmented a physics-based numerical model to investigate and predict areas susceptible to debris flows. This augmented model eventually could be used in an early warning system for people living in high-risk areas, enabling them to evacuate before it's too late. Information from model simulations also could be used to design new infrastructure -- such as diversion bars that deflect fast-moving water away from homes and roads -- for high hazard zones.
Published New methodology helps predict soil recovery after wildfires
(via sciencedaily.com) A team of investigators devised a new methodology to enable predictions of how plant growth and water quality would change in the wake of wildfires.
Published Wildfire-smoke observations fill gap in estimating soot's role in climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) New research refining the amount of sunlight absorbed by black carbon in smoke from wildfires will help clear up a long-time weak spot in earth system models, enabling more accurate forecasting of global climate change.
Published Just 10 financial actors hold the key to climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) A new report has identified the 10 financial actors with the most influence on the fossil fuel economy and outlines the decisive role they can play in helping de-carbonize our future.
Published All-in-one solar-powered tower makes carbon-neutral jet fuel
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have designed a fuel production system that uses water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and sunlight to produce aviation fuel. They have implemented the system in the field, and the design could help the aviation industry become carbon neutral.