Month: December 2021

Two recent peer-reviewed articles in the Journal Nature Food show that previous measures of the food-system’s contributions to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions had been underestimated. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00225-9; https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00358-x) One study finds that, in 2015, food-system emissions amounted to 18 Gt CO2 equivalent per year globally, representing 34% of total emissions. Within the food system, the largest proportion came… Continue reading How does our diet affect climate change?—Paul Chan

Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, but still have emissions associated with manufacturing and usage. Here we present estimates for lifecycle (manufacturing and operations) emissions of battery electric vehicles (BEV) and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs). This information is based on a Bloomberg NEF report. The report considers the lifetime average carbon intensity of the… Continue reading Carbon footprint of electric vehicles—Paul Chan

There are many different electrical generation methods. Each produces varying quantities of greenhouse gas (GHG) through its lifecycle—construction, operations (including fuel supply activities), and decommissioning. Some generation methods such as coal fired power plants release the majority of GHGs during operations. Others, such as wind power and nuclear power, release the majority of emissions during… Continue reading Carbon footprint of different energy sources—Paul Chan

In many regions of the world, water needed for agriculture and human consumption relies on winter mountain snowpacks. For example, the Sierra Nevada snowpack typically accounts for around 30% of California’s fresh water supply. Yet, there is evidence that climate change is decreasing seasonal mountain snowpacks globally, with potentially catastrophic consequences on water resources. A… Continue reading The impacts of climate change on water resources in the western United States–Paul Chan

According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), over the past 30 years, the Arctic region has warmed more than any other region on earth due to human-caused climate change. The NASA figure below–an averaged temperature profile from the South Pole to the North Pole–shows that the largest warming is in the northern… Continue reading The role of permafrost in climate change–Paul Chan