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Coal has increasingly been replaced by alternative fuel sources, like natural gas and renewables.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Lego says making bricks from recycled bottles produces more carbon than new plastic

Sep 25, 2023
Another example of how hard it can be to recycle polymers.
It takes a lot of energy and money to recycle plastics.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Big Tech is buying into the early carbon-removal market

Sep 7, 2023
Microsoft is paying $200 million to a company using crushed rock to absorb carbon, and the Frontier consortium is backing emerging technology.
Investing in emerging environmental technology "signals to consumers or to their customers that this is a company that's a leader, that's ahead of the game," said Daniel Korschun, a marketing professor at Drexel University.
Tim Heitman/Getty Images for BIG3

Could the carbon credit model help save threatened species?

Aug 9, 2023
A growing number of scientists and economists see a novel kind of credit as an important tool to help reverse global declines in biodiversity.
Land in Orsa Besparingsskog, a Swedish forest that is partnering to pilot a new biodiversity credit approach.
Martin Pilstjärna

What's a "carbon border adjustment mechanism," and what does it mean for U.S. exports?

Dec 14, 2022
The EU already imposes an environmental charge on EU-made goods. Its new plan would assess the same charge on imports.
The European Union implemented the world’s first tax on the carbon content of imported goods Tuesday. Above, a container ship at the port of Hamburg, Germany.
Gregor Fischer/Getty Images

E-bikes are soaring in popularity, but some still have reservations 

Oct 14, 2022
"I find myself looking at the other bikers going slowly and going ‘just get out of my way,’" says Ian Bogost, contributing writer at The Atlantic.

Fracking flourishes as era of net-zero carbon looms

Aug 15, 2022
The energy industry is emphasizing the controversial technique over traditional drilling, partly for its shorter timetable.
David McNew/Getty Images

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The private jet business is bigger than you think

Aug 1, 2022
While reducing carbon emissions is an urgent issue, private jet flights have only increased since the pandemic.
Private jet use has become normalized in recent decades . Above, a private jet in Sun Valley, Idaho, last month.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Alaska Airlines, Microsoft and carbon capture firm join forces to develop sustainable fuels

Jul 14, 2022
Sustainable aircraft fuel is tricky — electric batteries and biofuels have big drawbacks. A startup is converting carbon dioxide into jet fuel.
Most existing sustainable fuel options are biofuels, which are made out of animal fat or used cooking oil. Those present their own sustainability challenges.
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Can The New American Home inspire builders to go green?

Mar 1, 2022
The house with three kitchens, a 12-nozzle shower for two and a tiled washing station for one lucky dog is designed as a "net-zero" energy home.
The New American Home 2022, unveiled at last month's International Builders' Show in Orlando, Florida, boasts several green building certifications.
Amy Scott/Marketplace