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Increasing Hydrogen Energy Requires All Technologies to Be Pushed Forward
No single hydrogen technology should be prioritized, says a new study, and the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen needs to be optimized.
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Extreme Rain Heads for California’s Burn Scars, Raising the Risk of Mudslides – This Is What Cascading Climate Disasters Look Like
Wildfires strip away vegetation and leave the soil less able to absorb water. A downpour on these vulnerable landscapes can quickly erode the ground as fast-moving water carries debris and mud with it. Wildfires strip away vegetation and leave the soil less able to absorb water. A downpour on these vulnerable landscapes can quickly erode the ground as fast-moving water carries debris and mud with it. Such consecutive events lead to human disasters. Studies show climate change is raising the risk of multiple compound disasters.
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Urbanites Face Heightened Flood Risk as a Result of Forest Loss
The devastating impact of flooding in Queensland’s north, exacerbated by forest loss, is badly affecting urban areas. Researchers found that deforestation near urban areas exposes these areas to much larger amounts of water flowing on the soil surface soon after a rainfall.
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Canals Can Help the U.K. Cope with the Climate Problems
The presence of canal water can cool urban areas by up to 1.6°C during heatwaves in a 100-metre-wide corridor along the waterway. Research shows that the U.K.’s 200-year-old canals offer huge ‘blue’ opportunities to help Britain tackle the climate change crisis by helping cool homes and businesses, mitigating floods, and generating electricity through hydro generators.
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Cities Worldwide Aren’t Adapting to Climate Change Quickly Enough
Climate change is magnifying threats such as flooding, wildfires, tropical storms and drought. cities are quickly becoming more vulnerable to extreme weather events and permanent shifts in their climate zones. The problem is that the pace of climate change is accelerating much more rapidly than urban areas are taking steps to adapt to it.
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CISA, FBI, NSA Release BlackMatter Ransomware Advisory
CISA, the FBI, and the NSA published a cybersecurity advisory regarding BlackMatter ransomware cyber intrusions targeting multiple U.S. critical infrastructure entities, including two U.S. food and agriculture sector organizations.
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How Marsh Grass Protects Shorelines
As climate change brings greater threats to coastal ecosystems, new research can help planners leverage the wave-damping benefits of marsh plants.
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ShakeOut 2021: Earthquake Awareness Helps Community Preparedness
Nearly half of Americans are exposed to potentially damaging earthquakes where they work and live. Still others will be at risk when traveling. It’s a good idea for everyone, everywhere to know how to protect themselves during an earthquake.
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Fighting Floods with Restoration Versus Riprap
While both natural and man-made systems have their limits, gray infrastructure—seawalls, jetties, levees—comes with high maintenance costs, can increase erosion, or may even unintentionally retain water. Incorporating green infrastructure—beaches, dunes, islands, wetlands—into flood protection plans alongside gray infrastructure can shield communities, reduce maintenance, and provide additional social and environmental benefits.
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U.S. Hit with $18 Billion Weather and Climate Disasters So Far This Year
The United States saw an unprecedented eighteen separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the first nine months of the year, September 2021 was the 5th-warmest September on record.
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Making Desalinated Water Safer, Cheaper
Approximately 80 percent of drinking water in Israel is desalinated water, coming from the Mediterranean Sea. Israeli scientists and colleagues develop an effective and low-cost way to remove toxic boron from water in the process of desalination.
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Urban Areas More Likely to Have Precipitation-Triggered Landslides
Urban areas may be at greater risk for precipitation-triggered landslides than rural areas, according to a new study that could help improve landslide predictions and hazard and risk assessments. Researchers found that urban landslide hazard was up to 10 times more sensitive to variations in precipitation than in rural areas.
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Assessing Global Electricity Generation Potential from Rooftop Solar Photovoltaics
The first detailed global assessment of the electricity generation potential of rooftop solar photovoltaics (PV) technology has important implications for sustainable development and climate change mitigations efforts.
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“Self-Aware' Algorithm Wards Off Hacking Attempts
In 2010, the Stuxnet virus was used to damage nuclear centrifuges in Iran. Researchers have come up with a powerful response: to make the computer models that run these cyberphysical systems both self-aware and self-healing.
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New Method to Extract and Separate Rare Earth Elements
A new method improves the extraction and separation of rare earth elements from unconventional sources. The method could help develop a domestic supply of rare earth metals from industrial waste and electronics due to be recycled.
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The long view
Helping Strengthen America’s Critical Infrastructure
Everyday life depends on a robust infrastructure network that provides access to running water, communications technology and electricity, among other basic necessities. The experts who keep our national infrastructure secure and resilient also need a strong network to share their knowledge and train the next generation of professionals capable of solving complex infrastructure challenges.
AI and the Future of the U.S. Electric Grid
Despite its age, the U.S. electric grid remains one of the great workhorses of modern life. Whether it can maintain that performance over the next few years may determine how well the U.S. competes in an AI-driven world.
Using Liquid Air for Grid-Scale Energy Storage
New research finds liquid air energy storage could be the lowest-cost option for ensuring a continuous power supply on a future grid dominated by carbon-free but intermittent sources of electricity.
Enhanced Geothermal Systems: A Promising Source of Round-the-Clock Energy
With its capacity to provide 24/7 power, many are warming up to the prospect of geothermal energy. Scientists are currently working to advance human-made reservoirs in Earth’s deep subsurface to stimulate the activity that exists within natural geothermal systems.
Experts Discuss Geothermal Potential
Geothermal energy harnesses the heat from within Earth—the term comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). It is an energy source that has the potential to power all our energy needs for billions of years.