Environment

Most of us make frequent use of GPS technology to find our way around in our cars. There are increasing numbers of self-driving cars, and they are even more dependent on GPS technology in order to know where they are located. We tend to take for granted that the position shown by the GPS system is correct, but that isn’t always the case.

The world’s largest meat and dairy companies are responsible for emitting more methane than all the countries in the EU and the UK combined. The biggest meat company in the world, the Brazilian company JBS, accounts for nearly a quarter of the industry’s emissions and is more than the methane emissions from ExxonMobil and Shell combined.

The average level of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere had its largest one-year increase on record between 2023 and 2024. In 2024, the level reached 423.9 parts per million, an increase of 3.5 parts per million over the year before. The previous record jump was 3.3 parts per million in 2016. Modern measurements of carbon dioxide levels began in 1957.

The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP30, took place in Belèm, Brazil in November. One hundred ninety three countries plus the European Union registered delegations for the summit. The only countries not officially attending were Afghanistan, Myanmar, San Marino, and the United States.

There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes. It’s nearly impossible to estimate how many individual mosquitoes there are worldwide. Estimates range from 110 trillion to over a quadrillion. Mosquitoes are found literally everywhere on Earth with only two exceptions: Antarctica and Iceland. Except now they have been sighted in Iceland.

Hotter and drier conditions driven by climate change are leading to an increasing number of wildfires in North America and around the world. These fires are growing larger and burning longer, spreading into biodiversity-rich regions once considered too wet and humid to sustain them.

The Merrimack Station, located in Bow, New Hampshire, officially ceased operations on September 12th. It was the last coal-fired power plant in New England.

What we eat has a profound impact on the planet. According to a new study led by scientists from the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota, our dietary choices - and where we make them - strongly influence our contribution to climate change. The study, which was recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change, found meat consumption in the U.S. generates a massive and often overlooked source of greenhouse gas emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency under the Trump administration has proposed a new rule that would dramatically weaken safety reviews for some of the most toxic chemicals that are already on the market.

On October 2nd, the Trump Administration announced the termination of 321 awards, claiming to achieve $7.5 billion in savings from clean energy projects. In reality, many of these awards were already past their end date and the money had already been spent. However, the cuts still amount to nearly $5 billion.