Rocks Make Oxygen -Most Important Climate News 7.25.24

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According to research firm Rhodium, the US will miss its 2030 greenhouse gas emission goals. From 2005 to 2023, emissions fell by 18%. Much of the drop was because of public policy, including the effects of the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment, and Jobs Act. Federal regulation and aggressive state action which have helped push down emissions. Despite these massive efforts, the report says, “But they are not enough for the US to achieve its 2030 climate commitment under the Paris Agreement of a 50-52% reduction by 2030, or deep decarbonization by mid-century.” The US could miss its targets due to the ongoing low costs of fossil fuels and the high financial costs of creating a renewable energy industry. Among the other primary reasons are the energy-hungry AI installations. Climatecrisis247 believes there is no reason to think fossil fuel costs will rise substantially. The US has become the world’s largest provider of oil and gas. Additionally, AI energy needs will become colossal over the next decade without the capacity to supply this energy. A drop in green regulations under a possible Trump administration could worsen this.

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Revenue for the gaming industry, the primary contributor to GDP in Nevada, is at risk due to temperature reaching 110 degrees F over the next few days. According to CDC Energy, John DeCree, an analyst with CBRE, “questioned whether people wanted to travel to a city where temperatures are approaching 120 degrees.” Climatecrisis247 believes that, although data about out-of-town traffic to Las Vegas will not be available for weeks, even a modest dip in gambling activity could undermine revenue for both casinos and hotels as people go elsewhere or wait for cooler weather. This revenue is at the heart of Las Vegas’s success. Las Vegas heat hits 102 degrees, and businesses worry.

Scientists have found that some ocean rocks can produce oxygen, which could be a step forward in clean production. This is according to a research paper published in ScienceDaily, titled “Deep-ocean floor produces its own oxygen.” It read “An international team of researchers has discovered that metallic minerals on the deep-ocean floor produce oxygen — 13,000 feet below the surface.” The authors added, “Discovery challenges long-held assumptions that only photosynthetic organisms generate Earth’s oxygen.” Climatecrisis247 believes it is doubtful this will mean much to efforts to produce clean energy. There is no evidence that these rocks exist in large numbers or that their benefits will be available above the ocean’s surface. Some people worry the oceans can’t be saved.

Rising temperatures in Africa could drive up energy use and the amount of emissions from countries on the continent with large populations. According to Semafor, “Homeowners in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, increasingly rely on outdated equipment that use refrigerant gases, some of which are 1,800 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.” Climatecrisis247 believes this is one of a long list of emissions problems from third-world nations. They have little or no money to create clean energy solutions, and wealthier nations have been slow to provide financial aid. There is not reason to believe this trend will reverse.