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Climate News 02.2024 The Climate Crisis is getting nothing but worse and although as a world we are seeing some progress, many countries are still not doing enough. This month, I want to tell you about one country that is taking serious measures to reduce global warming and doing unbelievably well. The country is: Iceland. Over 99% of Iceland's electricity comes from renewable sources, with approximately 80% coming from hydropower and 20% from geothermal energy. As if this is not enough, Iceland’s government aims to become carbon neutral by 2040. Now, let’s look at some power sources in Iceland. I: Geothermal Energy. Geothermal Energy is very important in Iceland, it heats 89% of Icelandic homes. Geothermal Energy also accounts for 54% of the primary energy in Iceland. Iceland has been quite important in the advancement of this technology, partially due to Iceland’s bountiful supply of locations that support geothermal energy production. One of, I believe, the most amazing features of geothermal power is that, in Iceland, any excess CO2 emissions are ejected back into the Earth to form rock. This process called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) involves  separating carbon from any other gasses and then sending it to a suitable site to be injected deep into the ground. The carbon is then stored at a depth of at least 1 kilometer (1093.61 yards) and over time will transform into one of the main components in marble and limestone: calcite, a harmless mineral. Iceland does not only use this method for the production of geothermal energy, they also use it for excess CO2 from the production of aluminum, and other materials. II: Hydropower. Hydropower is another of Iceland’s biggest energy producers. In 2015 Iceland used 18,798 GWh of electricity. Renewable energy accounted for almost 100% of that number, with 75% coming from hydropower. Although this may seem like a lot of hydropower, according to a study in 2002, Iceland was only using 17% of the harnessable hydropower in the country. I believe that Iceland does a beautiful job using enough of its rivers for power, while keeping the country natural, beautiful and pleasant. III: Solar. When one thinks of renewable energy, one may immediately think of solar, very common and well, we aren't going to run out of sunlight for a long time. So you may think Iceland would take advantage of this. But, Iceland has very low insolation, which is the power per unit area of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun. This means that Iceland has quite low potential for solar power. VI: Wind power. Experiments to find the feasibility of wind farms in Iceland are ongoing, but it could be a potential possibility in the future. In 2012, there were two wind turbines installed in South Iceland, and by 2015 Icewind, a wind atlas, was completed. What Iceland has accomplished is amazing and should push other countries (such as the U.S.) to work just as hard to turn the climate crisis around. Iceland’s success is partially due to its unique geographical layout, but that does not mean this is impossible for other counties to achieve. It is possible to slow change, we just need the will. I would also like to point out, Iceland is not alone in dealing so well with climate change, there are a handful of other countries making great progress on turning around the climate crisis. So, I hope this has reminded you, we can fix this terrible problem we’ve made, and every little action matters.

Climate News 03.2025: Climate Change Superfund Act In the final days of December last year, the state of New York approved their new “Climate Change Superfund Act”, a measure that will make Big Oil companies pay more to help clean up the damage they have done. The act will force the biggest oil companies to pay a total of $75 billion over the next 25 years.               Costs for repairing damage caused by climate change have continued to add up for the state, and a new act is supposed to help with this significantly. As estimated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it will cost $52 billion to protect New York Harbor. This adds to costs of up to $100 billion to protect Long Island, and another $55 billion across the rest of the state. It is predicted by the state Comptroller that over half of local governments’ cost will be used for the climate crisis. Over a period of 26 years, the world’s top 21 largest polluting companies are at fault for $5.4 trillion in climate damages, and while most of these costs are thrust upon taxpayers in the form of climate damage bills, since January of 2021, Big Oil has had $1 trillion in profit.               The Climate Change Superfund Act is also quite popular; 89% of New Yorkers support fossil fuel emitting companies paying for at least some of the cost of climate change. Other polls have found that 70% of voters in NY support the Superfund, with majorities stretching across party lines. Nationally, the Climate Superfund approach has gained support from 89% of Democratic voters, and 53% of NY voters have been found to be more likely to vote for candidates who support a Climate Superfund bill. Some of this may be due to the fact that many economists, including the Institute for Policy Integrity at NYU law run by Nobel-prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz say that the costs these Big Oil companies will have to pay will not fall back on consumers.               All things considered, the Climate Change Superfund Act is an important step in keeping the companies that cause the climate crisis accountable for what they have done, and will be very successful, especially given the support of citizens of New York. This is a great example of what state-level legislation can do to help solve the climate crisis, and in my opinion should be a great example for other states of what we can, and must do amidst a federal administration that will likely favour fossil fuel companies in the battle against pollution.

SunDay is a climate organization focused on finishing the transition to solar energy. The project was started by Bill McKibben, an environmentalist and author. SunDay is “a day of action on September 21, 2025” ( www.sunday.earth ) and is all about pushing for solar power, which is now the cheapest form of power in the world, and will create many new jobs. SunDay is a day of hope of what the world can be if we all work together to make a solar-powered Earth. Check out SunDay's site at www.sunday.earth and help the world make the transition towards a clean future. This is a CNM Extra. Watch for a full article coming out soon!

The first quarter of the 21st century is almost over, and I decided to dive into the fact that some of the hottest years in our history have occurred already in this century. We have been keeping track of global temperatures since 1850, and the last 25 years have been among the hottest of the 175 years we've been keeping track. As you probably know, 2024 broke the record for being the hottest year on record, which by itself, you may think might just be a fluctuation, nothing major. Until you see that it broke 2023's record. And the record 2023 broke was set just three years earlier in 2020. The 6 hottest years ever recorded have all occurred since 2018. 2019 - 2024 are all of the top 6 hottest years recorded in human history. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) gives 2025 over a 99% chance of ranking among the 5 hottest years ever recorded. On a different note, I do not aim to make this an article void of hope. It is just a important reminder that we have never seen anything like what we are doing to our world right now, and this is why we need new solutions, because nobody has ever had to make a solution to a problem like this. This is a unique time to be alive, and if we make it through this, it will go down in history like one of the biggest things to ever happen to our species, like the great depression. And we will have lived through it.

Climate News 10.25: September the 21st was a Sunday. However, it was also SunDay. SunDay is a climate organization focused on finishing the transition to solar energy. The project was started by Bill McKibben, an environmentalist and author. SunDay was “a day of action on September 21, 2025” ( www.sunday.earth ) and is all about pushing for solar power, which is now the cheapest form of power in the world, and will create many new jobs. SunDay led way to over 450 events across almost all 50 states. SunDay was a demonstration of how we can renewably power our energy-intensive world. One goal for SunDay was support for balcony solar, which is currently illegal in every state but Utah. Balcony solar is a cheap version of roof solar, and this is how it works: First, you can go to a local hardware or general store and buy a panel. Then hang it on you balcony, plug it into any normal outlet with an inverse adapter, and that one panel can produce 20-25% of electricity an apartment uses. These panel are specially designed to hang from balconies and are a cheap way to use solar power without having to get roof solar. There is now a push to legalize balcony solar for the rest of the country, starting even at the municipal level. One example given by Bill McKibben that I found astounding was one that farmer told him. So, there is an acre of land. In a year, enough ethanol can be raised to power a Ford F-150 for 25,000 miles. However, with an acre of solar panels producing power for a year, you could power a Ford F-150 Lighting (the electric version of the same vehicle) for 700,000 miles. That is an increase of 675,000 miles. With no emissions. That is a range increase of 2700%. This means it would take 28 acres of ethanol to match the production of 1 acre of solar array. On top of all this, solar power is now the cheapest form of energy in the world. The cost of solar has now declined close to 90% percent since 2010. It is incredible how rapidly solar has overtaken oil, gas, etc. to become the cheapest and most reliable form of energy. All in all, now solar is the best form of energy in almost every way imaginable, and projects like SunDay are vital to making this transition, and informing people about solar power. Renewable energy is the best way to power our future, and we must push back against efforts to stop solar and wind projects, and support the building of new solar farms, creating energy, and jobs at less cost than ever before.

Climate News 12.2024: COF-999 In a year, a large tree can take around 40 kilograms of CO₂ out of the air. Now scientists at UC Berkely have made a carbon-capturing powder that can achieve the same feat. With half a pound of this fluffy yellow powder, the researchers say that they can capture the same 40 kilos. This powder, called COF-999, has been designed to trap greenhouse gas particles, and then release them in a safer place, for example injecting the carbon into the ground, something already done at carbon capturing plants. The powder uses microscopic pores to capture gasses and store them away. Tests show that the powder remains in good form through 100 cycles, and according to Omar Yaghi, who is a reticular chemist a UC Berkely, “based on the stability and behavior of the material right now, we think it will go to thousands of cycles.” Yaghi, who is also the study’s senior author, thinks that to solve the climate crisis it is necessary to extract carbon from our atmosphere.           To meet the goal of reducing global warming to 2 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial temperature levels, we must keep the atmospheric carbon concentration level below 450ppm. Studies show that current CO₂ levels are around 423ppm. This means that even if we stop emitting carbon dioxide, it will be necessary to extract it from the atmosphere. To test the new powder, scientists packed it into a cylinder of a similar size to a straw and exposed it to Berkeley air for 20 days. When air entered the tube, it’s CO₂ concentration levels ranged from 410ppm to 517ppm. When the air completed it’s journey through the powder, they could not detect any CO₂ at all. Once the powder has captured a suitable amount of carbon, COF-999 can be heated to 140℉ and it will loosen bonds with the carbon. Then, scientists can remove the carbon from the powder and apply a method of storing it. Other CO₂-capturing materials need to be heated to temperatures of 250℉ to release stored carbon. Additional research still needs to be conducted to find exactly how many cycles the powder can go through without deterioration (estimates now are hundreds to thousands of cycles.) Zihui Zhou, the study’s leader, and a materials chemist working on completing his PhD at UC Berkely, as well as Yaghi, are listed as the inventors of COF-999 in a patent application for the powder filed by UC Berkely. Yaghi predicts that COF-999 will be ready for direct air capture plants in two years.           All things considered, COF-999, when completed, will make an impressive substitute for other materials to extract CO₂ from the atmosphere. Hopefully, inventions like this will pave the way to a more sustainable future and save us time in answering the climate crisis.

We are excited to announce our new section: CNM Extras! CNM Extras are short, concise posts about relevant climate topics. These are perfect for getting the latest info quickly and finding out about big events for combating climate change.

Climate News 07.25: AI   AI is everywhere, in the news, on your computer and smartphone, it seems as though we can’t escape it. AI can be a useful tool that can do many things to help us in our day-to-day lives and has the potential to help us solve big scale problems too. However, AI is also having a devastating impact on the environment. Generative AI chatbots are asked to process hundreds of millions of queries each day. This takes a lot of energy. In fact, it takes 5 times as much energy for AI to answer a question or summarize an email as it does to do a simple web search. Huge data centers are being built to process these millions of messages. These temperature-controlled buildings and the super-computers that they hold are problematic for a couple of reasons. First, these centers use massive amounts of energy. AI, particularly AI training, requires much more power density, and uses up to 8 times more energy than normal computing. For example, it is estimated that training Chat-GPT 3 (2021) used 1,287 megawatt hours of electricity (enough to power roughly 120 homes for a year), and generated 552 tons of carbon dioxide. Data centers run 24/7, so they cannot run on renewable energy. By 2026 data centers will use enough energy to power the entirety of Japan, and by 2027, half the United Kingdom. At the current rate it is estimated that by the end of the decade the global energy demand of AI will be equivalent to 2 to 6 Californias. Second, cold water is used to cool and absorb heat from these super computers. It is estimated that for every kilowatt hour of energy data centers use, a liter of water is used for cooling. Freshwater must be used for cooling, as any other kind of water could damage the equipment. Around two thirds of new data centers built since 2022 are in locations with high water stress. While the southwest United States has become a hub for these data centers, the region, as well as large swaths of Latin America are experiencing mega drought periods, making freshwater ever more vital. This shows how even the computing hardware used for generative AI has its own, less direct impact on climate change. While many people tend to believe that AI is all in the cloud, it is also having a devastating impact on our physical world, through massive water consumption and carbon emissions. If we are not careful, AI could counter everything we have done to slow the climate crisis. So, all things considered, AI can be a very useful tool, but we must be conscientious about our consumption to lessen its environmental impact. We must ask ourselves what are ethical uses of AI given the climate impacts? On the other hand, might AI be a tool to help us solve the climate crisis?