California Air Resources Board Adopts Bold Climate Change Plan, Calls for Decade of Action
FERC Grants Permanent Certificate to Spire STL Pipeline without Hearing from Landowners, Ratepayers
FERC Grants Permanent Certificate to Spire STL Pipeline without Hearing from Landowners, Ratepayers
Living with the Petrochemical Industry
Written by Moms Clean Air Force
A mom recounts her experience touring a petrochemical plant, and discusses the health effects of being surrounded by oil and gas operations.
Major banks are setting climate targets. What the agricultural finance sector needs to know.
Many major banks have set targets to reduce financed greenhouse gas emissions in their loan portfolios to zero by 2050 (also known as net zero targets). They join a growing movement of companies throughout the agricultural supply chain to set ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2050 to prevent the most severe impacts from […]
The post Major banks are setting climate targets. What the agricultural finance sector needs to know. first appeared on Growing Returns.Major banks are setting climate targets. What the agricultural finance sector needs to know.
Many major banks have set targets to reduce financed greenhouse gas emissions in their loan portfolios to zero by 2050 (also known as net zero targets). They join a growing movement of companies throughout the agricultural supply chain to set ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2050 to prevent the most severe impacts from […]
The post Major banks are setting climate targets. What the agricultural finance sector needs to know. first appeared on Growing Returns.Major banks are setting climate targets. What the agricultural finance sector needs to know.
Major banks are setting climate targets. What the agricultural finance sector needs to know.
California’s final Scoping Plan sets the stage for stronger climate leadership, but next steps matter
California’s final Scoping Plan sets the stage for stronger climate leadership, but next steps matter
California’s final Scoping Plan sets the stage for stronger climate leadership, but next steps matter
Can hydrogen live up to its clean energy promise? Here are 3 key challenges
Hydrogen holds important promise as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels.
But as governments and companies pour tens of billions of dollars into hydrogen energy technologies, we need to make sure that we’re asking the hard questions that we should be asking about this emerging industry.
Hydrogen is a leak-prone gas with a potent warming effect that’s widely overlooked. To be an effective climate solution, hydrogen must be produced cleanly and used wisely.
With the industry in its infancy, now is the time to address problems and get things right — before vast systems and infrastructure are built out. Here are three big concerns to stay focused on:
1. Hydrogen leakageMost people don’t realize that hydrogen can trigger warming: When hydrogen escapes into the atmosphere before it’s burned or used, it reacts with other chemicals to create warming effects.
We’re just starting to understand how potent those effects can be. Research by EDF scientists found that on time scales of a decade or two, hydrogen’s warming power is much greater than previously recognized.
This poses a challenge for industry: Because hydrogen molecules are tiny, they’re prone to leakage.
All of this means minimizing leaks must be a priority for every hydrogen project. Good engineering, regular inspections, and eliminating venting are crucial (which is why EDF is also working with developers to create better detection technology for hydrogen).
And the further hydrogen travels, the greater the risk of leaks, so it makes sense to produce hydrogen close to where it’s used.
Get the latest climate tech news 2. Hydrogen productionHydrogen does not naturally occur on its own; it must be separated from other elements. As it’s typically done today, that process is energy-intensive and creates a lot of climate pollution.
But “green” hydrogen can be made by using renewable energy, and “blue” hydrogen by extracting it from natural gas that’s produced under conditions that sharply minimize methane and CO2 emissions.
In a well-managed system with low leak rates, our researchers found that both green hydrogen and — to a lesser extent — the best blue hydrogen would significantly reduce warming compared with fossil fuels.
With high leak rates, green hydrogen would still be better for the climate over 20 years than fossil fuels, but far less so than the climate-neutral promises we often hear.
But for blue hydrogen, if leakage of both hydrogen and natural gas is high, this type of hydrogen could actually increase the 20-year warming impact.
If hydrogen production and distribution systems aren’t managed properly, even supposedly “clean” hydrogen could be worse for the climate in the near term than the fossil fuels it replaces.
3. Hydrogen’s effect on communitiesPeople’s health and well-being must be a priority as new energy sources are developed. Hydrogen is no solution at all if it harms local communities.
Water consumption and air pollution from production and use of hydrogen must factor into deployment decisions. If hydrogen is burned in a power plant, it can produce air pollutants called nitrogen oxides that have been linked to asthma.
Blue hydrogen projects may also prolong the life of existing fossil fuel infrastructure that has polluted communities for decades. People living nearby must be engaged from the start, and new projects must adapt to local concerns.
The best future uses for hydrogenIn the global transition to clean energy, the best uses for hydrogen will be in places where clean electricity can’t do the job alone.
Hydrogen could be especially useful in heavy industry — like steel and cement production — or as a raw material for low-carbon fuels for ships and planes.
But in most cases, it won’t make sense to divert electricity from the grid to make hydrogen for use in cars, homes or commercial buildings. Electricity can serve those needs directly — faster, more easily and at less cost.
The green electricity necessary to make green hydrogen is currently a scarce commodity — and likely to be so for decades. So before we start making big bets on hydrogen, we’ll need a major commitment to the deployment of renewable energy (and in many cases, it will make more sense to use that electricity directly).
Making blue hydrogen from gas requires not only preventing methane emissions, but also capturing and permanently sequestering the associated carbon dioxide — for which there is currently almost no significant capacity.
We’re far from where we need to be to make clean hydrogen. But with the industry growing, it’s a good time to ask tough questions. Decisions made today will help ensure that global investments in hydrogen deliver on their promise.
Get the latest climate tech news Act when it matters mostEvery day more than 60 people sign up for news and alerts, to find out when their support helps most. Will you join them? (Read our privacy statement.)
Donate to support this work $35 $50 chsu December 13, 2022 - 12:45Can hydrogen live up to its clean energy promise? Here are 3 key challenges
Hydrogen holds important promise as a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels.
But as governments and companies pour tens of billions of dollars into hydrogen energy technologies, we need to make sure that we’re asking the hard questions that we should be asking about this emerging industry.
Hydrogen is a leak-prone gas with a potent warming effect that’s widely overlooked. To be an effective climate solution, hydrogen must be produced cleanly and used wisely.
With the industry in its infancy, now is the time to address problems and get things right — before vast systems and infrastructure are built out. Here are three big concerns to stay focused on:
1. Hydrogen leakageMost people don’t realize that hydrogen can trigger warming: When hydrogen escapes into the atmosphere before it’s burned or used, it reacts with other chemicals to create warming effects.
We’re just starting to understand how potent those effects can be. Research by EDF scientists found that on time scales of a decade or two, hydrogen’s warming power is much greater than previously recognized.
This poses a challenge for industry: Because hydrogen molecules are tiny, they’re prone to leakage.
All of this means minimizing leaks must be a priority for every hydrogen project. Good engineering, regular inspections, and eliminating venting are crucial (which is why EDF is also working with developers to create better detection technology for hydrogen).
And the further hydrogen travels, the greater the risk of leaks, so it makes sense to produce hydrogen close to where it’s used.
Get the latest climate tech news 2. Hydrogen productionHydrogen does not naturally occur on its own; it must be separated from other elements. As it’s typically done today, that process is energy-intensive and creates a lot of climate pollution.
But “green” hydrogen can be made by using renewable energy, and “blue” hydrogen by extracting it from natural gas that’s produced under conditions that sharply minimize methane and CO2 emissions.
In a well-managed system with low leak rates, our researchers found that both green hydrogen and — to a lesser extent — the best blue hydrogen would significantly reduce warming compared with fossil fuels.
With high leak rates, green hydrogen would still be better for the climate over 20 years than fossil fuels, but far less so than the climate-neutral promises we often hear.
But for blue hydrogen, if leakage of both hydrogen and natural gas is high, this type of hydrogen could actually increase the 20-year warming impact.
If hydrogen production and distribution systems aren’t managed properly, even supposedly “clean” hydrogen could be worse for the climate in the near term than the fossil fuels it replaces.
3. Hydrogen’s effect on communitiesPeople’s health and well-being must be a priority as new energy sources are developed. Hydrogen is no solution at all if it harms local communities.
Water consumption and air pollution from production and use of hydrogen must factor into deployment decisions. If hydrogen is burned in a power plant, it can produce air pollutants called nitrogen oxides that have been linked to asthma.
Blue hydrogen projects may also prolong the life of existing fossil fuel infrastructure that has polluted communities for decades. People living nearby must be engaged from the start, and new projects must adapt to local concerns.
The best future uses for hydrogenIn the global transition to clean energy, the best uses for hydrogen will be in places where clean electricity can’t do the job alone.
Hydrogen could be especially useful in heavy industry — like steel and cement production — or as a raw material for low-carbon fuels for ships and planes.
But in most cases, it won’t make sense to divert electricity from the grid to make hydrogen for use in cars, homes or commercial buildings. Electricity can serve those needs directly — faster, more easily and at less cost.
The green electricity necessary to make green hydrogen is currently a scarce commodity — and likely to be so for decades. So before we start making big bets on hydrogen, we’ll need a major commitment to the deployment of renewable energy (and in many cases, it will make more sense to use that electricity directly).
Making blue hydrogen from gas requires not only preventing methane emissions, but also capturing and permanently sequestering the associated carbon dioxide — for which there is currently almost no significant capacity.
We’re far from where we need to be to make clean hydrogen. But with the industry growing, it’s a good time to ask tough questions. Decisions made today will help ensure that global investments in hydrogen deliver on their promise.
Get the latest climate tech news Act when it matters mostEvery day more than 60 people sign up for news and alerts, to find out when their support helps most. Will you join them? (Read our privacy statement.)
Donate to support this work $35 $50 chsu December 13, 2022 - 12:45EDF Releases Diversity Numbers in 2022 Green 2.0 Report Card
EDF Releases Diversity Numbers in 2022 Green 2.0 Report Card
Moms on the Front Lines of Oil and Gas Development: Erandi Treviño, Houston
Written by Moms Clean Air Force
As part of our series about the health impacts of methane, Erandi Treviño tells her story about how her family's health has been affected by living near oil and gas development.
Mapping Lead: Powerful tool helps communities find underground hazards
Roya Alkafaji, Manager, Healthy Communities and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative We have all come to expect access to information at our fingertips. To meet this demand, water utilities are increasingly posting interactive maps online to help residents identify whether their homes are connected to lead service lines (LSLs).[1] These are the pipes […]
The post Mapping Lead: Powerful tool helps communities find underground hazards first appeared on EDF Health.
Mapping Lead: Powerful tool helps communities find underground hazards
Roya Alkafaji, Manager, Healthy Communities and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative We have all come to expect access to information at our fingertips. To meet this demand, water utilities are increasingly posting interactive maps online to help residents identify whether their homes are connected to lead service lines (LSLs).[1] These are the pipes […]
The post Mapping Lead: Powerful tool helps communities find underground hazards first appeared on EDF Health.
Mapping Lead Pipes: Powerful tool helps communities find underground hazards
Mapping Lead Pipes: Powerful tool helps communities find underground hazards
Roya Alkafaji, Manager, Healthy Communities and Tom Neltner, Senior Director, Safer Chemicals Initiative We have all come to expect access to information at our fingertips. To meet this demand, water utilities are increasingly posting interactive maps online to help residents identify whether their homes are connected to lead service lines (LSLs).[1] These are the pipes […]
The post Mapping Lead Pipes: Powerful tool helps communities find underground hazards first appeared on EDF Health.