Important Innovations

World 1st: NASA & CA Partnership Targets Solo Emissions Sites From Space                        Source:  Greenhouse Gas Emissions Stock Image         Source: NASA Curiosity Image of Methane Outbreaks on Mars $100 Million  Greenhouse Gas Tracking System From Space   NASA and California, with financial backing from philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, are launching a $100 million satellite tracking system to pinpoint individual sources of large greenhouse gas emissions.  For the first time, these new satellites, with new technologies developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs (JPL), will be able to both see and measure emissions at the level of individual facilities like a specific oil refinery. Currently, the measurements have been at the scale of large geographic areas. Methane Emissions Tracked By Carbon Mapper The top greenhouse gas target for the satellites is methane, whi...

  US EPA Setting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Planes                        Source:  Stock Image of Airplane Emissions Planes Among Top Fastest Growing Emissions Sources The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing the world's 1st regulations on aircraft greenhouse gas emissions.  The new emissions standards are now being formalized and will apply to commercial aircraft and large business jets.  The EPA says this will align with international standards including that for the UN global aircraft emissions standards. Big aerospace companies like Airbus SE and Boeing support the standard.  Critics of the new regulations, now being formulated, think that they should be toughened by incoming President Joe Biden. More Details The compliance date on the new EPA regulations for airplanes is January 1, 2028.  If not in compliance by then, aircraft that are not modified will ...

Daimler & China's Geely to Develop Next-G Combustion Engine                                                Source:  2021 Mercedes New Engine for Hybrids German based automotive company Daimler and China's automaker Geely have just announced a partnership to develop a next generation combustion engine for use in hybrid vehicles.  The surprise announcement came as many governments, including the European Union, are tightening regulations on auto emissions.  Daimler says the new engine will be modular and highly efficient.  It will be manufactured in both China and Europe for use in hybrid drivetrains. Daimler Saving Money Daimler sets the bar in global automotive innovation and luxury. Geely is a huge automotive powerhouse.  It owns Volvo, the US based flying car company Terrafugia, Geely Auto, Lotus, Proton and has a 9.69...

BMW Vows to Cut Its Carbon Emissions in Europe by 20% in 2020 Source:  BMW BMW's Aggressive Carbon Emissions Commitment Concerns about the economic risks of CC are growing globally and pressure is mounting on businesses to join the low carbon economy.  The global automotive industry is responding by rolling out a growing number of new, zero emissions and hybrid electric cars and other vehicles.  BMW has announced that it will cut its carbon emissions by 20% in Europe in 2020.  They say 2/3rds of the cuts are coming from their electric and hybrid vehicles and the remaining from new, more efficient combustion engines. This is impressive, immediate action to fight climate change that is leading the way for global automakers. G20 Cites Climate Change in its Communique for 1st Time in Trump Era CC Watch But No Risk Warning from G20 Financial officials from the world's 20 largest economies cited Climate Change in their final communique for the ...

Tiny Particles that Add Up Source:  NASA NASA Atmospheric Program The images of swirling dust over deserts and plumes of sea salt off the ocean are stunning and amazing.   It's a new and innovative illustration in which NASA showcases the invisible atmospheric world of the tiny particles swirling around us.  It demonstrates that dust clouds blanket large parts of the earth. Tiny Particles with Big Footprints The particles include sea salt, black carbon soot from wildfires and emissions from heavy industry. NASA combined data from multiple sensors on satellites as well as ground based sensors.  Massive storms that hit Hawaii and Japan spewed sea salt plumes into the atmosphere.  Landlocked winds over NW China and NW Africa unleashed huge dust clouds into the air. It's the Air We Breathe This map isn't a single image or a montage of images.  NASA used mathematics to bring together data from different sources to determine where the densest concent...